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GLEANINGS 



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WITH ABEIEF NOTICE 
or 

THE FORMER PUBLICATIONS OT THESE VOLUMK", 
BY 

JAMES MONTGOMERY. 

PHILADELPHIA: 
HENRY LONaSTRETH, 

No. 1336 CHESTNUT STREET. 
1859 







P\ 



it 



AFTER READING THE FOUR VOLUMES OP. 
•WHICH THE WORK IS COMPOSED. 



" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will 
towards men,^' was the song of the angels at the birth of our 
Saviour. To promote these blessed objects appears to havo 
been the simple and sincere purpose of the Editor of this 
volume ; in the compilation of which so much of delicate taste 
and sound judgment has been exercised, that it may perhaps 
be said, (and as the writer of this paragraph himself believes,), 
that on no page of its diversified and delightful contents can 
the eye of a candid inquirer even casually alight, without 
finding something worthy to be read, and remembered too. 



JAMES MONTGOMERY. 



The Mount, near Sheffield, 
November 22d, 1845. 



f r^fnr^ 



The small volumes now blended, were severally compiled in 
succession, and extended beyond the original purpose, in con- 
sequence of the reception they met with from the public. But 
for this, a more systematic arrangement might have been 
observed, especially as regards the affixing of some of the 
authors^ names ; an attempt for the most part early aban- 
doned, from the great difficulty of discovering many of them. 

If the thus gathering together of the results of much 
Christian experience be rendered useful to the community, 
it will be cause of gladness. *' How much precious truth," 
says a recent writer, " has been written, and published, by 
holy saints, and servants of God, which the world, that neither 
knoweth or careth for truth, has consigned to oblivion and 
contempt; but which, at the lapse of even hundreds of years 
from its first publication, is in some unexpected way, made to 
pierce and melt the heart of some poor wanderer from the true 
fold, and be the means of guiding it to the arms of the good 
SheDherd of Israel V 



Xtjc Mflje^f~§i|e^f. 



"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven." — Thus our blessed Saviour opened 
his sermon on the mount ; and from his example we 
may be assured, that humility is the richest garb that 
the soul can wear. By this is to be understood, not 
an abject poorness of spirit, that would stoop to do a 
mean thing ; but such an humble sense of human na- 
ture, as sets the heart and affections right towards 
God, and gives us every temper that is tender and 
affectionate towards our fellow creatures. This is the 
soil of all virtues, where everything that is good and 
lovely grows. 

True religion will show its influence in every part 
of our conduct ; it is like the sap of a living tree, 
which penetrates the most distant boughs. 



The table of a good economist is always attended 
with neatness, plenty, and cheerfulness. When we 
have provided enough to maintain us, in the order 
suitable to our character, we ought to be proportion- 
ately hospitable ; but the more we live within decent 
bounds, the more of our fortune may be converted to 
noble uses. 

(11) 



1 2 GLEANINGS FROM 

What are the pomp and majesty of an earthly 
court, the magnificence of palaces and crowded thea- 
tres, to one who has in view the glories of heaven, the 
triumphs of the saints and the ineffable delights of the 
angelic world ? What are feasts, sports, plays, and 
all the vanities of sensual pleasures and delights, to 
him who stedfastly fixes his eye on celestial bliss and 
everlasting transports of joy? 



He that is his own appraiser will be mistaken in the 
value. 



Afflictions, if we make a discreet use of them, are 
messengers of love from heaven to invite us thither. 



Household affairs ought insensibly to slide along, 
and represent a still current without noise or waves. 



In the morning say to thyself. What shall I do this 
day which God has given me ? How shall I employ it 
to his glory ? In the evening consider within thyself, 
and recollect, What have I done this day, and how 
have I spent it ? 



Religion naturally tends to all that is great, worthy, 
friendly, generous, and noble : and the true spirit of 
it, not only composes, but cheers the soul. Though it 
banishes all levity of behaviour, all vicious and disso- 
lute mirth, yet in exchange it fills the mind with a 
perpetual serenity and uninterrupted pleasure. The 
contemplation of divine mercy and power, and the 
csercise of virtue, are in their own nature so far from 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 13 

excluding all gladness of heart, that they are the prin- 
cipal and constant sources of it. 



It was the practice of Vespasian, the Roman empe- 
ror, to call himself to an account every night for the 
actions of the past day ; and as often as he let slip 
one day without doing good, he entered upon his diary 
this memorial : 

" I have lost a day." 



Count that day lost, whose low descending sun 
Views from thy hand no worthy action done. 



We read in the Scriptures, that Boaz, in the midst 
of riches, was laborious, diligent in husbandry, plain, 
without luxury, delicacy, sloth or pride. How affable, 
how obliging and kind to his servants ! " The Lord 
be with you," says he to his reapers; and they an- 
swered him, " The Lord bless thee." This was the 
beautiful language of religious antiquity ; but how lit- 
tle known in our days ! 



The sweetest revenge is to do good to our enemies. 



Nothing can be more proper for a creature that 
borders upon eternity, and is hasting continually to 
his final audit, than daily to slip away from the circle 
of amusements, and frequently to relinquish the hurry 
of business,, in order to consider and adjust the " things 
that belong to his eternal peace." 



One of the most deceitful bubbles that ever danced 
before the eye of human vanity, is wealth. It glitters 



14 GLEANINGS FROM 

at a distance, and appears replete with all the requi- 
sites essential to earthly felicity ; it attracts the atten- 
tion of numbers from every other object, and kindles 
in the breasts of its votaries an inextinguishable thirst 
to acquire it. By weak minds it is considered as the 
summum honum of sublunary blessings; and there- 
fore, in the attainment of it, such think to exclude 
every want, to enjoy every satisfaction. 



Keep no company with a man who. is given to de- 
traction ; to hear him patiently is to partake of his 
guilt, and prompt him to a continuance in that vice 
which all good men shun him for. 



The more thou art elevated in life, or ranked among 
the great and affluent, the more it becomes thee to be 
circumspect in all thy actions ; God's all-seeing eye is 
upon thee, and men observe thy failings. The more 
thou art increased in wealth, the more shouldst thou 
sink in self-abasement, and rise in gratitude and benev- 
olence. 



One advantage gained by calamities is, to know how 
to sympathise with others in the like troubles. 



Did those whom heaven has blessed with affluence 
but visit the secret recesses of poverty, those dreary 
abodes of sorrow, where infantile weakness and the 
decrepitude of age languish under the pressure of 
affliction, without a friend to help, or an eye to pity, 
how painful would be their feelings till they had 
rendered them joyful by diffusing comfort to the 
wretched ! Did they but behold a numerous family 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 15 

of little innocents, surrounding the knees of an afflicted 
mother, and crying for bread, how strong would be 
their sympathy ! Did they but behold the mother, 
pale and emaciated with want, expressive anguish 
painted on her countenance, while endeavouring to 
silence her children's clamours with the bare suste- 
nance of words, what tender emotions it would raise in 
their breasts ! 



Sincerity signifies a simplicity of mind and man- 
ners, in our conversation and carriage one towards an- 
other ; singleness of heart, discovering itself in a con- 
stant plainness and honest openness of behaviour, free 
from all insidious devices, and little tricks and fetches 
of craft and cunning : from all false appearances, and 
deceitful disguises of ourselves in word or action ; or 
yet more plainly, it is to speak as we think, and do 
what we pretend and profess, to perform and make 
good what we promise ; and, in a word, really to be 
what we would seem and appear to be. 



Frugality is good if liberality be joined with it. 
The first is leaving oJBf superfluous expenses ; the last 
bestowing them to the benefit of others that need. The 
first without the last begins covetousness ; the last 
without the first begins prodigality: both together 
make an excellent temper. 



What would it profit a man, if by the secret and 
dark mysteries of trade he gain the whole world, and 
lose his own soul ? Would the heaps of his dishonest 
wealth administer consolation in a dying hour ? Would 



16 GLEANINGS FROM 

these alleviate his horrors in the views of a certain and 
swiftly approaching dissolution ? No ! 



That to be great is to be happy, is one of those 
errors which have almost at all ages prevailed among 
the generality of mankind. But that to be good is to 
be happy, is a secret reserved for the wise and virtu- 
ous few, who are the grace and ornament of them- 
selves, their friends, and their country. 



Of him to " whom much is given, much shall be re- 
quired." Those to whom God has granted superior 
faculties, and more extensive capacities, and made 
eminent in quickness of intuition and accuracy of dis- 
tinction, will certainly be regarded as culpable in his 
eye, for defects and deviations which, in souls less 
exalted and enlightened, may be guiltless. But surely 
none can think without horror on that man's condition, 
who has been more wicked in proportion as he has had 
more means of excelling in virtue, and used the light 
imparted from heaven only to embellish folly, and to 
palliate crimes. 



Perhaps nothing affords greater encouragement to 
serious minds, than to find that men of like passions, 
placed in the same dangerous circumstances, and sur- 
rounded with equal trials and temptations, have, by 
the assistance of Divine grace, bravely conquered the 
difficulties of the Christian life, and run with patience 
the race set before them. 



The humble address which the prodigal made to his 
father, (in the excellent parable given us by our 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 17 

Saviour,) the father's return to it, and the manner of 
his reception into favour, is exceedingly expressive of 
the becoming penitence of the one and the mercy of 
the other : ^^ I have sinned against heaven and in thy 
sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, 
make me therefore as one of thy hired servants." The 
tender parent compassionates his distress, takes the 
prodigal in his arms, owns him for his son, orders the 
fatted calf to be killed, and rebukes the envy of the 
elder brother with, " This my son was dead, but is 
alive again; was lost, but is found." Oh! the height 
and the depth of the goodness and mercy of God ! 
Look unto him all ye ends of the earth, and be ye 
saved ! 



Who would not heartily engage in all the exercises 
of a pious life, be " stedfast, unmoveable, and always 
abounding in the work of the Lord," when he sees 
what dull sensuality, what poor views, what gross en- 
joyments they are left to, who seek for happiness in 
other ways ? 



It is the sense of cold, hunger, thirst, and naked- 
ness, that supplies the poor beggar at your door with 
penitent expressions and arguments ; he needs not the 
help of a friend or book to furnish him. So, if we 
know ourselves, and feel our condition, and set God 
before us as our God, able and ready to help us, he 
whose gift the true spirit of supplication is, under- 
stands the language of even sighs and tears, and 
"groanings which cannot be uttered." 



The grave, to which we are all hastening, ought to 
2* 



18 GLEANINGS FROM 

be an early lesson of serious instruction, sounding the 
alarm in the ears of every youth ; seeing it is fre- 
quently opened to receive its victims in the very bloom 
of life, and before the years draw nigh in which, in the 
course of nature, they can take no pleasure. Boast 
not, therefore, thyself of to-morrow, since thou know- 
est not what a day may bring forth ; but rather let 
the example of others teach thee the absolute necessity 
of improving the present moments, and duly to reflect 
upon the imminent danger of delay. 



It is not in our power to command wealth, or wis- 
dom, or authority, whereby we may assist our fellow- 
creatures ; but a sympathetic temper may be fully 
approved in the sight of God without these ; and the 
poor man who hath nothing to give, and no means of 
helping others, may yet bear in his bosom a heart as 
truly tender, as thoroughly disposed to show mercy, 
and as acceptable in this respect before God, as he 
who, in a more exalted station, enjoys the power as 
well as the heart. 



If the spring put forth no blossoms, in summer 
there will be no beauty, and in autumn no fruit ; so, 
if youth be trifled away without improvement, riper 
years will be contemptible, and old age miserable. 



Let us not fail frequently to reflect upon the great- 
ness and number of our own faults, and the vast need 
we have of allowance, both from God and man, con- 
sidering how hard it would go with us, if men could 
see all the inmost thoughts of our hearts, or knew all 
the secret actions of our lives ; and if God was to 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 19 

judge us with severity according to them. Let us 
first cast the beara out of our own eye, before we pre- 
tend to remove the mote from our brother's. 



Modesty always sits gracefully upon youth; it 
covers a multitude of faults, and doubles the lustre of 
every virtue which it seems to hide ; the perfections 
of men being like those flowers which appear more 
beautiful when their leaves are a little contracted and 
folded up, than when they are full blown, and display 
themselves, without any reserve, to view. 



Graceful in youth is the tear of sympathy, and the 
heart that melts at the tale of woe. Let not ease and 
indulgence contract your affections, and wrap you up 
in selfish enjoyment. Accustom yourselves to think 
of the distress of human life, of the solitary cottage, 
the dying parent, and the weeping orphan. 



Submit your minds to early impressions of reve- 
rence for sacred things. Let no wantonness of youth- 
ful spirits, no compliance with the intemperate mirth 
of others, ever betray you into profane sallies : be- 
sides the guilt which is thereby incurred, nothing gives 
a more odious appearance of petulance and presump- 
tion to youth than the afi'ectation of treating religion 
with levity ; instead of being an evidence of superior 
understanding, it discovers a pert and shallow mind, 
which, vain of the first smatterings of knowledge, pre- 
sumes to make light of what the best of mankind re- 
vere. 



Li order to render yourselves amiable in society, 



20 GLEANINGS FROM 

correct every appearance of harshness m behaviour. 
Let that courtesy distinguish your demeanour which 
springs not so much from studied politeness, as from a 
mild and gentle heart. 



Bad as the world is, respect is always paid to vir- 
tue. In the usual course of human affairs it will be 
found that a plain understanding, joined to acknow- 
ledged worth, contributes more to prosperity than the 
brightest parts without probity or honour. 



It should be an indispensable rule in life, to limit 
our expenses to our present condition ; and whatever 
may be our expectations, to live within the compass of 
what we actually possess. 



If the principles of the Christian religion were well 
rooted in the hearts of all mankind, what excellent 
fruit would they produce ! There would be no more 
wars, no rumours of wars ; kingdom would not rise 
against kingdom, nor nation against nation; but all 
princes would be at peace with their neighbours, and 
their subjects at unity amongst themselves, striving 
only which should serve God best, and do most good 
in the world. 



He whose wishes, respecting the possessions of this 
world, are the most reasonable and bounded, is. likely 
,to lead the safest, and, for that reason, the most desi- 
rable life. By aspiring too high, we frequently miss 
the happiness which, by a less ambitious aim, we might 
have gained. High happiness on earth is rather a 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 21:' 

picture which the imagination forms, than a reality 
which man is allowed to possess. 



When in conversation you claim no kind of pre-emi- 
nence, but instead of pretending to teach, are willing 
to learn ; instead of courting applause are ready to 
confer it; instead of proudly directing, are content 
quietly to follow the current of discourse ; everybody 
will be delighted with your deportment, will listen with 
attention, and even with deference, to one who has 
thus learned that the noblest improvement of superior 
knowledge is superior humility. 



Of all charities, that of employing the poor is the 
most charitable ; it is, in a manner, to double the ob- 
ligation by lessening it, it being more grateful to any 
man to put him in a capacity of relieving himself, than 
to make him a pensioner to others ; and it is turning 
a bounty into a reward. 



In doing benevolent things, there is, both as to the 
time and the manner, a propriety which gives value 
even to the least ; the manner in particular has a mar- 
vellous effect. A charitable action, gracefully done, is 
twice done. To some people one would be willing to 
owe almost everything, so handsomely do they confer 
kindness ; while from others a favour, for the opposite 
reason, is a load. 



The humble tribute of obedience from a sincere 
heart is more acceptable to the sovereign Lord of the 
universe than the most pompous display of ceremonial 
worship. The mental aspirations of an humble heart 



22 ' GLEANINGS FROM 

are as intelligible to the sacred ear as the loudest ac- 
clamations of vocal prayer. 



When thou discoverest any faults in others, make 
the right use of them, which is, to correct and amend 
the like failures in thyself. 



Temperance has those particular advantages above 
all other means of preserving health, that it may be 
practised by all ranks and conditions at any season, or 
in any place ; it is a kind of regimen which every man 
may observe without interruption to business, expense 
of money, or loss of time. 



How guarded should we be when we speak to the 
unhappy, whose sorrow and dejection are apt to dis- 
pose the heart to interpret into an unkind and bitter 
sense, every expression that does not breathe the 
greatest gentleness and affection. 



A dutiful and affectionate attention from children, 
to the wants and infirmities of aged and helpless pa- 
rents, is enjoined by the laws of God, and indispensa- 
bly required ; and were any one so lost to a sense of 
filial obligation as to perform it with reluctance, they 
cannot expect the esteem of worthy people in the 
world, or, what is infinitely of greater moment, the 
favour of heaven. Condescending, respectful behav- 
iour, is also due from young persons of both sexes to 
their teachers ; and though it be not equally obliga- 
tory with the above, a voluntary observance of it is 
not only pleasing to those who have the care and trou- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 23 

ble of their education, but is ever graceful in youth, 
and reflects lasting credit on all in the practice of it. 



What can be more amiable and exemplary in the 
mistress of a family, than to see her wisely and readily 
supplying all the wants of those who depend on her 
assistance ; discharging with steadiness and equity her 
several domestic claims ; diffusing, by every word she 
speaks, and everything she does, a spirit of moderation 
and decency in all around her ; and through all her 
conduct, and on all occasions, giving practical lessons, 
and affording proofs of frugality without parsimony, 
and generosity without extravagance? 



Affluence gives its possessors no more licence to 
spend in wanton profusion than to become miserable 
misers. To sport away wealth extravagantly, or to 
hoard it unprofitably, is repugnant to the dictates of 
reason, and, we may believe, equally offensive to the 
munificent Giver of all good. The surplus of our 
wealth might be nobly employed in acts of real charity; 
the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, the afflicted, who 
silently shed their tear#, and spend their cheerless days 
in obscurity and sorrow, have a just claim upon our 
bounty, while the dispensing of it may be an acceptable 
oblation to the universal parent and friend of mankind. 



He who, with talents capable of being employed in 
the service of others, sits, down with views that centre 
solely in himself, and neglects to employ them further 
than his own necessities require, is guilty of a breach 
of trust, for which he must one day be accountable. 



24 GLEANINGS FROM 

A nimble tongue often trips. 



Young persons should, above all things, beware of 
beginnings, and by no means parley with temptations ; 
their greatest security is in flight, and in the study to 
avoid all occasions of evil ; for the cockatrice, which 
may be easily crushed in the egg, if suffered to hatch 
and grow up, will prove a deadly serpent, hard to be 
destroyed. 



View the groves in autumn, and observe the con- 
stant succession of falling leaves : in like manner the 
generations of men silently drop from the stage of 
life, and are blended with the dust. 



The most beautiful flowers soon fade, and droop, and 
die : this is also the case with man ; his days are un- 
certain as the passing breeze. This hour he glows in 
the blush of health and vigour ; but the next he may 
be counted with the number no more known on earth. 



There is nothing which, in seasons of affliction, or at 
the painful evening of life, can afford so much comfort 
to the soul as a steady belief of its future existence in a 
happier state : it alleviates the keenest of human woes, 
and illumes the dark ^'valley of the shadow of death." 



When we take a final adieu of those we most love, 
there is nothing so consolatory as the belief that they 
are only going before us to happiness, and that we 
shall meet again in a better country, never more to be 
separated. 



PIOUS AUTHOES. 25 

He that sees ever so accurately into the motives of 
other people's actions, may possibly be, in a great mea- 
sure, ignorant of his own. 



It is the best and safest rule to walk by, to be severe 
and rigid in judging ourselves, and to be very meek 
and charitable to our brother. 



Love operates stronger than fear in producing uni- 
form obedience. 



To THE Rich. — Your fortune, perhaps, has removed 
you from the necessity of labouring for your bread; 
you have been politely educated, you have no trade or 
employment to take up your time, and so are left to be 
disordered by corrupt passions and pleasures. Whilst 
poor people are at hard labour, whilst your servants 
are drudging in the meanest offices of life, you, op- 
pressed with idleness and indulgence, are relieving 
yourself with foolish and improper books, feeding and 
delighting a disordered mind with romantic nonsense 
and poetic follies. If this be the effect of riches and 
fortune, only to expose people to the power of disor- 
dered passions, and give them time to corrupt their 
hearts with madness and folly, well might our blessed 
Lord say, "Woe unto you that are rich !" 



How little do we know what to wish for ! — how often 
is the gratification of our desires attended with morti- 
fying reflections ! and how frequently are the very 
disappointments at which we murmur, productive of 
happy consequences ! 



26 GLEANINGS FROM 

Who does not know, that a man may give all his 
goods to feed the poor, and yet want charity? But 
will any one therefore conclude, that another may keep 
all his goods to himself, and yet have charity. 



For a man to say, he is lowly in heart, whilst he is 
seeking the ornaments, dignities and show of life, is 
the same absurdity as for a man to say, he is of a 
meek and forgiving spirit, whilst he is seeking and 
revenging quarrels. 



No circumstances of life can hinder us from being 
examples of piety and goodness, and making our lives 
a lesson of instruction to all that are about us ; and he 
that lives an exemplary life, though his state be ever 
so poor and mean, is largely contributing to the salva- 
tion of others, and proving himself the best follower of 
his Lord and Master. 



A man that has his head and his heart taken up 
with worldly concerns, can no more love God with all 
his soul and with all his strength, than a man with his 
eyes upon the ground, can be looking towards heaven 
with all the strength of his sight. 



Joy and sorrow constantly attend on our pursuits ; 
but are uncertain in the periods of their visitations. 
The royal Psalmist has declared, that it was good for 
him that he was afflicted ; and Solomon has also borne 
his testimony, that it was better to go to the house of 
mourning than of feasting. 



Were there no sin in pampering ourselves with our 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 



riches, our Saviour had not said, "Wo unto you that 
are rich, for ye have received your consolation." 



Had a delight in the splendour and greatness of this 
life been an innocent delight for people of birth and 
fortune, our Saviour had never said, " Blessed are the 
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 



Had worldly mirth, and the noisy joys of splendour 
and equipage, been any part of the happiness 'of 
Christians, our Saviour had never said, " Blessed are 
they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." 



In that unaifected civility which springs from a 
well-regulated and gentle mind, there is a charm more 
powerful than in all the studied manners of the most 
finished courtier. 



He that is taught to live upon little, owes more to 
his father's wisdom, than he that has a great deal left 
him, to his father's care. 



They that soar too high often fall hard, which 
makes a low and level dwelling preferable. 



He that would be master of his own, must not be 
bound for another. 



When covetousness once gets possession of the 
heart, it will let no good principle flourish near it. 

By the unhappy excesses of irregular pleasures in 
youth, how many amiable dispositions are corrupted or 



28 ■ GLEANINGS FEOM 

destroyed ! How many rising capacities and powers 
are suppressed ! How many flattering hopes of pa- 
rents and friends are totally extinguished ! Who but 
must drop a tear over human nature, when he beholds 
that morning, which arose so bright, overcast with 
such untimely darkness, and the youth cut off by his 
vices at the beginning of his course ; or sunk for the 
whole of it into insignificancy and contempt ? These, 
sinful pleasure ! are thy trophies. 



A good man may seek, by fair industry, to render 
his circumstances easy and plentiful : he may bestow 
a considerable portion of his time and attention on 
the successful management of his worldly interests ; 
all this is within the limits of that allowable use of 
the world, to which religion gives its sanction. But, 
to a wise and good man, the world is only a secondary 
object; he remembers there is an eternity beyond it ; 
his care is, not merely to amass and possess, but to 
use his possessions well, as one who is an accountable 
being — he is not a slave, either to the hopes or the 
fears of the world — he would rather forfeit any pre- 
sent advantage, than obtain it at the expense of vio- 
lating the divine law, or neglecting his duty. This is 
using the world like a good man; this is living in it as 
a subject of the Almighty, a member of the great com- 
munity of mankind. To such a man riches are a 
blessing ; he may enjoy them, but he will use them 
with liberality. They open a wide field to the exer- 
tions of his virtue, and allow it to shine with diffusive 
lustre. 



Those persons who are most engaged in active la- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 29 

bours for the benefit of others, will find peculiar need 
for frequent retirement. In their closets, they must 
draw down from the fountain of love, by faith and 
prayer, that spiritual strength, and those heavenly 
graces, which alone can enable them to labour perse- 
veringly^ as well as patiently^ for Christ's sake. The 
present times, which are so happily characterized by 
religious exertion, render this duty highly needful. It 
is no uncommon thing to hear excellent persons com- 
plain, that their whole time is nearly divided between 
their avocations and the claims of multiplying socie- 
ties ; thus leaving little or no leisure for the important 
duty of Christian retii^ement. Hence spirituality of 
mind is much injured, from the constant bustle in 
which some benevolent persons live. They have fre- 
quent cause to join in the lamentation of the spouse in 
the Canticles : " They made me a keeper of vineyards ; 
but mine own vineyard have I not kept;" — but it 
never was the design of infinite wisdom that one duty 
should extirpate another. As everything is beautiful 
in its season, so there is a time for everything. The 
art of doing much, consists in giving to every duty its 
proper place, time, and quantity. 



It is highly important to young persons to be care- 
ful in the choice of friends and companions : this choice 
is too frequently made without thought, or is deter- 
mined by some casual connexions ; and yet, very 
often, the whole of their future life may be influenced 
by it. The circumstances which chiefly attract the 
liking and the friendship of youth, are vivacity, good 
humour, an engaging manner, and a cheerful and easy 
temper ; qualities amiable in themselves, and useful 
3* 



30 GLEANINGS FROM 

and valuable in their places. But these are not all 
the qualities requisite to form an intimate companion 
or friend ; something more is still to be looked for : — 
a sound understanding, a steady mind, a firm attach- 
ment to good principles, to virtue, and honour. 



To give a reproof with discretion, so as to make it 
acceptable, well becomes both the reprover and the 
reproved. 



Our intercourse with our neighbours cannot be con- 
ducted with comfort and cordiality, without discretion 
as well as sincerity. 



He who has seen the glory of the Lord in Christ 
Jesus, will be sensible of his own unworthiness. 



He that covets not to love God still more and more, 
never loves him enough. Much of this divine exercise 
is not sufficient to him who "would stop there, as if he 
were satisfied. 



The man who refers himself wholly to God is ena- 
bled thereby to do many good deeds ; and rendering 
faithfully all honour to him, it is incredible w^hat won- 
ders God works by that man's means. 



The spirit of a good man does not strive to under- 
take much, or to make a great noise and show, but in 
all plainness and sincerity he labours to do well what 
he undertakes, and that purely for the love of God. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. . 31 

Be not fond of thyself, and thou wilt not take up 
easily an ill-will to others. 



Our opinion concerning ourselves and our neigh- 
bours, agreeable to the rule and temper of Chris- 
tianity, is generally nearer the truth, when we sink 
our idea of self rather below what seems to us to be 
our due, and when we raise the idea of our neighbours 
a little above what appears to belong to them, for they 
doubtless have some virtues and good qualities un- 
known to us, and it is certain we have some secret fail- 
ings which do not usually come within our own no- 
tice. 



(Pride.) — Survey the things that raise your pride ; 
consider how vain they are. Is it silver and gold ? 
The dust of the earth I perishing treasures ! poor com- 
forters in an hour of inward distress, of sickness or 
death ! Is it beauty, and youth, and strength ? What 
withering flowers are all these ! what gay and dying 
vanities, that are wasting hourly, and may be blasted 
with an east wind ! Is it honour and fame among 
men ? What an empty thing is the breath of mortals ! 
how subject to change ! How unjust and feeble a 
foundation for pride ! It is sometimes given to the 
worst of men without due merit ; and even when it is 
best merited, and most justly given, it is but a sound 
that vanishes into empty air. Is it high birth that 
makes you proud and scornful ?. This is the honour of 
your ancestors more than your own, and perhaps it 
was not raised at first upon virtue or true merit .; then 
it is a worthless thing indeed. Is it your wisdom and 
knowledge that puffs you up with conceit ? It is a 



32 GLEANINGS FROM 

sign you want one large branch of it ; that is, the 
knowledge of yourself, for that would make you hum^ 
ble. — Watts. 



The busy or the pleasant scenes of this temporal 
life, are ever calling away our thoughts from eternal 
things : they conceal from us the spiritual world, and 
close our eyes to God, and things divine and heavenly. 
If the eye of the soul were but open to invisible things, 
what lively Christians should we be ! But either the 
winds of worldly cares rock us to sleep, or the charms 
of worldly pleasures soothe us into deceitful slumbers. 
"We are too ready to indulge in earthly delights, and 
while we dream of pleasure in the creatures, we lose, or 
at least abate, our delights in God. Even the lawful 
satisfactions of flesh and sense, and the enticing objects 
round about us, may attach our hearts so fast to them 
as to draw us down into a bed of carnal ease, till we 
fall asleep in spiritual security, and forget that we are 
made for heaven, and that our hope and our home is 
on high. — Watts. 



Oh what a blessed change does the converting 

grace of Christ make in the soul of a son or daughter 
of Adam ! It is like the beauty and pleasure which 
the rising morning diffuses over the face of the earth 
after a night of storm and darkness : it is so much of 
heaven let into all the chambers of the soul : it is then 
only that we begin to know ourselves aright, and know 
God in his most awful and most lovely manifestations: 
it is in this light we see the hateful evil of every sin, 
the beauty of holiness, the worth of the gospel of 
Christ and of his salvation. It is a lio;ht that carries 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 33' 

divine heat and life with it : renews all the powers of 
the spirit, and introduces holiness, hope, and joy, in 
the room of folly and guilt, sin, darkness, and sorrow. 
— Watts. 



Judge Hale. — "There was remarkably conspicuous 
in him what Hooker designated with such beauty, ' tlie 
behaviour of humility ; one in itself of the most indubi- 
table tokens of piety, and often best expressed by 
speaking sparingly of God and divine things." 



"When I would," says one, '^ possess nothing 
through self-love, everything was given me without 
going after it." Oh, happy dying of the grain of 
wheat, which makes it produce a hundred-fold ! 



How strait is the gate which leads to a life in God ! 
How little, and stript of everything, one must be to 
pass through it, it being nothing else but death to our- 
selves ! But when passed through it, what enlarge- 
ment do we find ! 



If all things went well even with good men in this 
life, they would be building tabernacles here, and set 
up their rest and hopes on this side Jordan, as the 
Reuhenites did in the country of Basha7i, when they 
found it rich and fruitful. God Almighty, therefore, 
in mercy makes this world unpleasing to good men by 
affliction, that they may set the less value upon it, and 
fix their hopes and desires and endeavours for that 
city which is above. This is the voice of the rod and 
of Him that hath appointed it, which every wise man 
ought to hear and answer with all obedience, sub- 



84 GLEANINGS FROM 

mission, and thankfulness ; and when affliction has 
wrought this effect, its business is in a good measure 
ended; and for the most part it is thereupon eased 
or removed. — Hale. 



Peayer. — " Thou canst not get before the presence 
of the Lord of heaven, but with thy spirit and soul ; 
and unless thy prayer be the drawing near of thy 
spirit to him, thy prayer is a provocation, and not a 
service ; unprofitable and useless for thee, and unac- 
cepted and not regarded by God." — Hale. 



Prayer. — Prayer is not a smooth expression, or 
well-contrived form of words : not the product of a 
ready memory, or of a rich invention exerting itself in 
the performance. These may draw a neat picture, but 
still the life is wanting. — It is not the gilded paper 
and good writing of a petition that prevails with a 
king, but the moving sense of it. 



In the school of Christ, the first lesson of all is, self- 
denial and humility ; yea, it is written above the door, 
as the rule of entry or admission, ^^ Learn of me^for I 
am meek and lowly of heart.'''' 



How much vigour and vehemence doth affliction add 
to prayer ! The deeper the Psalmist sinks, in so much 
louder accents doth he cry to God, " Out of the depths 
have I cried unto thee, 0, Lord.''' — (Psalm xxx, 1.) 



The night may be dark and the wind high, but with 
the heavenly pilot on board we shall be brought in 
safety to the shore. And, oh ! what a pleasing land 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 35 

ing will it be ; not among foreigners and strangers, 
but among dear friends who have preceded us to the 
blessed country. And there shall be no night there ! 



There can be no situation so distressing or danger- 
ous, in which faith will not fetch in comfort from God, 
by fervent prayer. We are apt to show our troubles 
too much to ourselves, aggravating and poring upon 
them, which does us no service, whereas by showing 
them to God, we might cast the cares upon him who 
careth for us, and thereby ease ourselves. 



Many weak Christians perplex themselves with ques- 
tions and doubts about their election, whether they are 
of the house of Israel or not. Let them continue ear- 
nest in prayer for mercy and grace ; throw themselves 
by faith at the feet of Christ, and say, " If I perish, I 
will perish here ;" and then that matter will by de- 
grees clear itself. If we cannot reason down our un- 
belief, let us pray it down. A fervent, affectionate 
"Lord, help me" will help us over many discourage- 
ments, which seem ready to overwhelm us. " thou 
that hear est prayer^ unto thee shall all flesh come .'" — - 
Psalm Ixv. 2. 



A female distinguished for her piety as well as by 
her eminent station in life, being engaged in her youth 
to seek earnestly after the knowledge of divine things, 
was introduced to a pious man ; he spoke not a word 
for some time, when she briefly told him her difficulties 
about prayer. He presently replied, it was because 
she sought that without which she had within ; adding, 
" Accustom yourself to seek God in your heart, and 



36 GLEANINGS FROM 

you will find him." Having said these words he left 
her : they operated like the stroke of a dart which 
pierced her heart asunder. " I felt,'' said she, " at 
this instant a wound very deep, smitten with the love 
of God ; a wound so delightful that I desired it never 
to be cured. These words brought into my heart what 
I had been seeking so many years ; or rather they 
made me discover what was there, and which I did not 
enjoy for want of knowing it. Oh, my Lord ! thou 
wast in my heart, and demanded only the turning of 
my mind inward to make me feel thy presence. Oh, 
infinite Goodness ! Thou wast so near, and I ran hither 
and thither seeking thee, and yet found thee not. My 
life was a burden to me, and my happiness was within 
myself. I was poor in the midst of riches, and ready 
to perish with hunger, near a table plentifully spread, 
and a continual feast. Oh, Beauty, ancient and new ! 
why have I known thee so late ? Alas ! I sought thee 
where thou wast not, and did not seek thee where thou 
wast. It was for w^ant of understanding these words 
of thy gospel, ' The kingdom of God cometh not with 
observation : neither shall they say, Lo, here, or lo, 
there : for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.' 
This, I now experienced, since thou became my King, 
and my heart thy kingdom, where thou reigned as 
sovereign and did all thy will." 



Judge Hale in sickness. — '' It is true it is a popu- 
lar theme that every man hath in his mouth, from 
Solomon — ' all is vanity ;' and yet those things that 
notionally and verbally we call so, we pursue as our 
greatest happiness : as if those expressions of ours 
were not our meaning, but a design to discourage 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 37 

others from the prosecution of that which we would 
alone enjoy. And thus, one man pursues honour and 
great place and authority, and prides himself much in 
the acquest, and in the retinues, observances, distances, 
and addresses that wait upon such preferment. An- 
other pursues after wealth, and makes it the whole 
business of his thoughts and life, and when he hath 
gotten it, blesseth himself with the rich man : — ' Soul, 
thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; eat, 
drink, and he merry.' Others pursue the gratifica- 
tion of their senses and sensual appetite, rare pictures, 
and stately houses and gardens, luxurious diet, plea- 
sant wines, choice meats and fruit, fine flowers, amor- 
ous and wanton company, and the fruition of unlawful 
lusts. And in these they place their happiness, and 
spend the flower and strength of their souls and 
bodies ; exhaust their supplies, and consume their time 
that will one day be wanted, but never recalled. And 
these for the most part are the business of the gene- 
rality of mankind. But when the approaches of death 
come, nay, when a strong disease, a burning fever, or 
a violent ague drinks up the blood, and consumes the 
spirits, and wastes the flesh, and contracts the sinews, 
and casts languishing and dimness upon the eye, nau- 
seousness and loathing upon the stomach, pain and 
distemper upon the whole body — these conditions do 
undeceive the man and render all those things that 
men make their business and their happiness as nau- 
seous and insipid as the most unacceptable thing in 
the world." 



I was meditating yesterday upon death, till I was 
amazed that it is almost the only subject which is never 
4 



38 GLEANIXaS FROM 

treated of in conversation further than as a mere unin- 
teresting fact. Were any number of persons intending 
to embark for a distant, unknown country, of whom 
some might be called to-morrow, and all must be called 
soon, would they not, whenever they met as friends 
and fellow-travellers, be inquiring amongst themselves 
how each was provided for the journey ; what accounts 
each had heard of the place ; the terms of reception ; 
what interest and hopes each had secured, what trea- 
sures remitted, what protection ensured ; and would 
they not excite each other to despatch what was yet 
possible to be done, and might to-morrow be irretriev- 
ably too late? — I think it would sit "pleasingly on the 
mind, when a friend was vanished out of this visible 
world, to have such conversations to reflect upon ! 
What astonishing scenes are now opened to the minds 
of many with whom, a few months ago, we used fami- 
liarly and triflingly to converse ; with whom we have 
wasted many an inestimable hour ! what clear views 
have they now of those great and important truths, for 
which the foolish bustle of this world leaves scarcely 
any place in the immortal mind ! — Talbot. 



Self-abasement, self-examination, and prayer, are 
the best preservatives for all who have entered on a 
religious life, and are especially becoming in incipient 
Christians. — More. 



How truly animating, when the Christian is adding 
grace to grace, strength to strength, beauty to beauty, 
joy to joy ! Our Lord hath said, " To him that hath 
shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly." 
Progress is delightful, whether it be in nature or in 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 39 

grace. It is pleasant to see a fine edifice rise from the 
foundation to the top-stone, to see the outline of some 
grand picture accurately filled up and finished, to see 
the progress of vegetable life, from the first starting 
of the germ to the full maturity of the plant ; but how 
much more delightful is it to observe the prosperity of 
souls, and to note their proficiency ! When the mind 
expands, and the Holy Spirit is poured into all its 
powers, to rouse its energies, and quicken its graces, 
then how truly pleasing to observe the symptoms of 
approaching maturity, when the prepared soul must 
burst its prison walls, and rise to the full enjoyment 
of heavenly felicity. — Dennant. 



To a woman who has been properly instructed, and 
who has a knowledge of her own concerns, it is a 
source of peculiar satisfaction to know, that what she 
requires of her domestics is consistent with the obliga- 
tions they are under to her. And the mistress who 
treats them with mildness and suitable attention, is 
generally much better served than she who treats them 
with harshness and severity. Their love and attach- 
ment create a desire to please, and their mutual 
interests contribute very much to the quietude and 
happiness of all around them. — Anon. 



! how sweet is love ! how pleasant is its nature ! how 
takingly does it behave itself in every condition, upon 
every occasion, to every person, and about everything ! 
How tenderly, how readily doth it help and serve the 
meanest ! How patiently, how meekly doth it bear all 
things, either from God or man, how unexpectedly 
soever they come, or how hard soever they seem ! 



40 GLEANINGS FROM 

How doth it believe ! how doth it hope ! How doth it 
excuse ! how doth it cover over that which seemeth not 
to be excusable, and not fit to be covered ! How kind 
is it even in its interpretations and charges concerning 
miscarriages ! It never overchargeth ; it never grates 
upon the spirit of him whom it reprehends ; it never 
hardens ; it never provokes ; but carrieth a meltingness 
and power of conviction with it. 

This is the nature of God. This, in the vessels, 
capacitated to receive and bring it forth in its glory, 
the power of enmity is not able to stand against, but 
falls before, and is overcome by. — Pennington. 



He is an accomptant who can cast up correctly the 
sum of his own errors. — Dillwyn. 



Habitual reflection on the uncertainty of time, tends 
greatly to fortify the mind against the snares both of 
prosperity and adversity. — Ibid. 



Permanent rest is not to be expected on the road, 
but at the end of the journey. — Ibid. 



It is better to pass by an offence, than to invite its 
repetition by resentment. — Ibid. 



In marriage, mental accomplishments should be pre- 
ferred to those which are exterior. — Ibid. 



Without a conflict there is no conquest, and without 
a conquest no crown. — Ibid, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 41 

He who truly desires a blessing on his aflBiictions, is 
always the better for them. — Ibid. 



There is no condition of human life so high, as to 
be beyond the reach of the arrows of affliction. — Ibid. 



Promises made in time of affliction require a better 
memory than people commonly possess. — Ibid. 



It may afford some encouragement to a mind in dis- 
tress to remember, that the narrowest part of a defile 
is often nearest the open field. — Ibid. 



Those who are careful to avoid offending others, are 
not apt to ta.ke offence themselves. — Ibid. 

A man can hardly do a greater service to his neigh- 
bour, than to instruct and encourage him in the per- 
formance of his, duties. Those who delay setting out, 
merely because the road is difficult, or that they can- 
not see to the end of the journey, are in danger of 
being belated. — Ibid. 



A kind attention to strangers is very grateful to 
them, and generally commended ; yet few who have 
not been in that situation themselves are sufficiently 
sensible of its difficulties ; and of those who have 
been, too many, when at home, are negligent in that 
respect. — Ibid. 



A literary correspondence should be considered as 
the private conversation of the parties, in which many 
things pass which they would not choose to express, 
4* 



42 GLEANINGS FROM 

if they were aware that those to whom their letters are 
often shown, were within hearing. — Ibid. 



We easily believe what we wish ; but we have a won- 
derful facility in raising doubts against those duties 
which thwart our inclinations. — Ibid. 



Those who are the most susceptible of sympathy for 
the afflictions of others, are not the most apt to com- 
plain of their own. — Ibid. 



He that can truly say, he knows not any one 
against whom he has the least degree of enmity, is a 
citizen of the world, and justly entitled to an universal 
passport. — Ibid. 

If thou observe any one in the habit of passing high 
encomiums on others, take especial care that thou dost 
not in any wise offend that person. — Ibid. 



A vessel at the commencement of its voyage may 
be in good condition, and full freighted : it may be 
navigated by skilful hands, and weather many storms : 
yet, for want of proper attention to the compass, 
quadrant, and plummet, be run aground, even at the 
mouth of the port. — Ibid. 



Can more be said of instrumental music than that, 
as an aid to devotion, it is alluring and enlivening to 
the affections? ^. e. as long as they are excitable by 
outward means ; but, as it has full as great an effect 
on the passions, and is quite as much employed in 
enticing and betraying the unwary into folly and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 43 

wretchedness, it seems most safe for beings travelling 
through the dangers and difficulties of a probationary 
state, rather to avoid it on account of its abuse, than 
to indulge in it for the sake of its suppositious advan- 
tages. — Ibid. 



The master of a vessel may make a pretty respect- 
able figure on deck, with a leading gale and small sea; 
but the time for trying his courage and competency for 
command, is in violent head-winds and midnight 
storms, when one error in management or direction 
may be fatal to ship and cargo. The mere theory of 
navigation makes but a poor seaman. — Ibid. 



Those afflictions which have their proper effect on 
us, and humble us into true resignation, are like storms 
which drive rightly-directed vessels towards their 
designed ports. — Ibid. 



It is wisely ordered, that neither nations nor indi- 
viduals can deteriorate each other without injuring 
themselves, nor promote the welfare of others without 
partaking of the benefit conferred. — Ibid. 



One watch set right, will do to try many by ; and 
on the other hand, one that goes wrong may be the 
means of misleading a whole neighbourhood. — Ibid. 



On the decease of beloved friends, how apt are we 
to ruminate rather on our loss than on their gain ! and 
to mourn over their deserted bodies ; (like school-boys 
seeking a bird's nest, and disappointed at finding it 
empty ;) not considering the dangers their late inhabit- 



44 GLEANINGS FROM 

ants have escaped ; and that, at the very instant we 
are indulging ourselves in unavailing lamentation on 
their account, they may be exercised in melodious 
responses, or feeding upon the most delicious fruits of 
the King's garden. — Ibid. 



If we believe, that in a future state, all the party 
distinctions by which we are known one from another 
here, will be obliterated, we may reasonably infer, that 
those who are best prepared for it, are most inclined 
to regard mankind as one family ; and, on the con- 
trary, that those who, in support of their several par- 
ties, employ themselves in devising or executing 
schemes by which the peace and harmony of the world 
are laid waste, are not in the way of being either pre- 
pared themselves, or instrumental in preparing others 
for future blessedness. — Ibid. 



If we were as patient in waiting for the instruction 
of wisdom, as we are earnest to take sure steps in the 
prosecution of our worldly affairs, we might soon 
become acquainted with her lore, and proficients ia 
her school. — Ibid. 



The words of our Saviour, ^' If my kingdom were 
of this world, then would my servants fight," must 
signify, to every unprejudiced mind, the same as if he 
had said, " As my kingdom is not of this world, there- 
fore my servants do not fight." — Ibid. 



The biographer of Bishop Usher says: ''The year 
before this learned and holy primate and archbishop 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 45 

died, I went to him, and earnestly desired him to give 
me in writing his apprehensions concerning justification 
and sanctification by Christ ; of which he would wil- 
lingly have excused himself, by declaring his intention 
of not writing any more ; adding, that if he did write, 
it should not exceed above a sheet or two. He, 
coming to town some time after, was pleased to give 
me a visit at my house, where I failed not to challenge 
the benefit of the promise he had made me. He 
replied, that he had not writ, and yet he could not 
charge himself with any breach of promise ; ' for (said 
he) I did begin to write ; but when I came to write of 
sanctification, that is, of the new creature, which God 
formeth by his Spirit in every soul that he doth truly 
regenerate, I found so little of it wrought in myself, 
that I could speak of it only as parrots, by rote, and 
without the knowledge and understanding of what I 
might have expressed, and therefore I durst not pre- 
sume to proceed any further upon it:' and when I 
seemed to be amazed to hear such a humble confession 
from so great and experienced a Christian, he added : 
' I must tell you, we do not well understand what 
sanctification and the new creature are — it is no less 
than for a man to be brought into an entire resigna- 
tion of his will to the will of God, and to live in the 
offering up of his soul continually in the flames of 
divine love, as a whole burnt offering to Christ : and 
how little (says he) are many of those who profess 
Christianity, experimentally acquainted with this work 
on their soul !' By this discourse I conceived he had 
very excellently and clearly discovered to me that part 
of sanctification of which he was unwilling to write." 



46 GLEANINGS FROM 

God pruneth the Vine of our Affections. — A 
vine, which is one of the most fruitful of trees, (made 
use of by God to compare the Christian unto,) if it bo 
left to its natural growth, unregarded and unpruned, 
shoots forth into many superfluous branches and stems, 
and spendeth its most generous strength that way, and 
so becometh weak and fruitless.— — If God should leave 
the best Christian to the vicious exorbitancies of his 
own heart and affections, and not curb and prune 
them, and retrench the extravagancy of his desires, his 
strength would be spent on that which profiteth not, 
and he would soon grow barren and useless. There is 
need that, both by his returning grace he reduce and 
limit our desires ; and that, by the sharp knife of afflic- 
tion, he cut short and check their excrescences. 

"When mine heart doth irregularly run after vanity, 
let the smart of thine hand correct my wanderings, 
and tame the w^ldness of my affections. It is better I 
should bleed by thy pruning-hook, than be cut down 
by the axe as withered and fruitless, and cast into the 
burning ! — Spiritual Bee, {s^i2:)posed hy Penn.) 



How often do we find such whom God hath be- 
leaguered with an affliction, or planted his battery 
against by a disease, whom he seemed to have marked 
out for death, make covenants and promises for a fu- 
ture reformation, and of putting away their sin : whom 
yet, when he withdraws his terrors, and puts up his 
arrows, those ties do no more bind than the withes did 
Samson ; but they arise, and go out, and do as at 
other times. While their backs smart under the rod, 
and they sit on the brink of the grave, their spirits 
stoop, their passions are broken, and the heat of them 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 47 

assuaged ; their thoughts are humbled to sobriety. 
Then, to be liberal of promises is an easy bounty ; but 
when the storm is over, and they return to their for- 
mer freedom and delight, in sensible converses, then 
are they restrained in performance, and rescind former 
engagements. The sighs of their sick bed, which they 
turned into penitent groans, are now vanished into air, 
and forgotten : the sad reflections on their former 
vanities, the serious recollection of their ways which 
they were reduced to, when the flesh sat uneasy upon 
them, and dwelt in sorrow, are now as little thought 
upon as the dolorous accents of their grief. When 
they are newly come out of the furnace, while the 
smell of fire is yet on them, they are scrupulous and 
tender. But it is as those who come out of a hot 
stove, that shrink from cold air at first, but by degrees 
are brought to their former hardiness of temper. If 
the soul be not changed, though there may for a while 
some religious colour appear in the man's face, he will 
at last return to his former habit. — Ibid. 



Never was a heart harder than Pharaoh's ; and yet, 
upon the repetition of every plague, how coucliant is 
the lion ! — how doth he frown and crouch to the power 
which his stubbornness increased ! At length he sud- 
denly gives the Israelites a dismission, and, as it were, 
thrusts them forth, — '-^ Arise up ^ get you forth from 
among us." Yet no sooner were they gone, but the 
storm of his passion had a reflux, being only diverted 
by that judgment ; and he makes after them, with the 
whole pov/er of his country, to fetch them back again. 

Lord, let never my holy resolutions go away with my 
afflictions, nor my health dispense with the vows of my 



GLEANINGS FROM 



Sickness ! Let immunity from evil never render me 
such a stranger to \\hat I was in distress, that I should 
recoil from mj promises and disown them. — Ibid. 



Solid Worth contrasted with specious Piety. — > 
I have sometimes seen a blazing comet, much out- 
shining other stars, and attracting the eyes of men to 
behold it with wonder; which yet, by its decay (of 
light) and vanishing awhile after, hath appeared to 
have no true place among the stars, but in the lower 
regions. How many, in our days, have been seen and 
gazed on with admiration, who have shined with glori- 
our beams, who yet, by their fall^ have at length dis- 
covered themselves to have been exhalations only, 
gilded with rays and counterfeiting stars, by an ex- 
ceeding splendour ! for often doth the hypocrite outgo 
the saint in appearance, as much as he comes short of 
him in reality. Many have had a shining zeal in 
those exercises of religion that lie open to the view, 
and so have gotten and kept up a high esteem and 
credit; but not trading on a solid stock, but taking up 
their saintships all upon trust, no wonder they prove 
bankrupts at last. The foolish virgins made a great 
blaze with their lamps ; which yet, by their going out, 
appeared to want oil. — Ibid. 



Prayer. — Let us contemplate 'prayer in its journey 
between earth and heaven, as Jacob did the angels 
ascending and descending. It ascendeth, then lightly, 
mounted on the wings of faith ; but it comes ever laden 
down again upon our heads. It goeth up, it may be, 
in a shower of tears, and descendeth in a shower of 
blessings. It is wafted into heaven with groans ; (for 



PIOUS AUTHORS. , 49 

these have a force to open heaven's gates ; and that 
prayer flies swiftly that is carried on the wings of a 
groan ;) but those sighs return laden with comforts, 
like the southern winds in Egypt, whose wings are 
charged with the sweet odours of spices. They go out 
weeping, but never come weeping back ; but where the 
spring and seed-time is wet, the harvest is clear and 
joyful. They that sow in tears reap in joy. — Ibid. 



To Reprove with Discretion. — An indiscreet re- 
proof hath usually a double ill effect : first, in that, by 
the fault of the manager, (as a good story may be 
quite spoiled in the relating,) the action in itself good, 
is rendered for the present irksome and tedious : and 
next, in that it leaveth a prejudice behind, which is 
very disadvantageous at the like future occasion. A 
good stock of prudence and caution is in no duty more 
requisite than in this, of Christian reproof: which re- 
quires an exact observation of circumstances, time, 
manner, and persons, in order to a wise management 
of it. As I desire never to act that tacit part as a 
flatterer, with silence, seemingly to soothe and cherish 
him that deserves reproof, and by a friendly cruelty to 
betray him into security ; so I think it both more safe 
and more wise to tarry on the shore, rather than 
launch forth, when I know the wind will be contrary, 
and beat me back again. — luiD 



Whene'er you would an erring friend reprove, 
Let gentle caution show the motive's love. 
Do not begin with rashness to exclaim, 
But rather hint the fault before you blame. 
5 



50 GLEANINGS FEOM 

'Tis not enough your admonition's just ; 
Prudence must guide it, or the labour's lost. 
Friends should allure, and charm us into sense 
Harsh counsels less reform than give offence. 



True Christian love is of an enlarged, disinterested 
nature. It loves all who love the Lord Jesus Christ 
in sincerity. Party spirit is confined within the limits 
of a sect ; but Christian love oversteps the narrow 
boundary, and can recognize a brother in each humble 
believer, who practically exemplifies the holy doctrines 
of the Gospel. 

"When we love our own party exclusively^ or persons 
only of our own peculiar train of thinking, we love 
ourselves in them. We see our own image, and admire 
it. But when we love those who differ from us in non- 
essentials, because we discover in them the humility, 
meekness, purity, patience, and benevolence of the 
Kedeemer, then our love is truly Christian. It is 
Christ in them whom we love. How little of this 
enlarged affection, on pure Christian principles, do we 
discover in the professing world. We hear much 
about it, but see little of it. It is highly extolled, but 
little cultivated. 



As love is the surest evidence of faith ; so obedience 
is the truest test of love. 



Poets are more dangerous than prose writers, when 
their principles are bad. Do not be ashamed of having 
never read the fashionable poem of the day. A Christ- 



PIOUS AUTIIOHS. 61 

ian has no time, and should have no inclination, for any- 
reading that has no real tendency for improvement. 



In trying to be kind, attentive, and compliant to 
the habits of worldly people, there may be a danger 
of strengthening them in evil, and of injuring our own 
consistency as Christians. 



There are four evils, which mark the degenerate 
state of professing Christians in general : — their love 
of the world — their love of ease — their fear of man — 
their distrust of Providence. The primitive believers 
w^ere just the reverse of all this. They despised the 
world, and its flattering allurements ; they took up the 
cross, and denied themselves ; they boldly confessed 
Christ, and suffered for his sake ; they trusted God 
for all things, and so took joyfully the spoiling of 
their goods. And what was the blessed fruit ? They 
abounded in consolation ; they grew in grace ; they 
shone as lights in the world; they felt joy and peace 
in believing. 



Society is pleasant — yet it becomes a snare if it 
lead us from our secret chamber by its incessant at- 
tractions, and thus makes us strangers to our God and 
our own hearts. 



It is often better to pray for those who are mis- 
taken, than to dispute with them. 



Prejudices may often be more easily undermined 
than stormed. 



52 GLEANINGS FROM 

The farther the experienced Christian advances in 
his earthly pilgrimage, the more he learns how need- 
ful to his safety is watchfulness and prayer. 



The world, and the things of the world, press upon 
us at all points. Our daily avocations, yea, our most 
lawful enjoyments, have need to be narrowly watched, 
lest they insensibly steal upon our affections, and draw 
away our hearts from God. True Christians must 
come out and be separate from the world, in its prin- 
ciples, spirit, and practice ; for it is unequivocally 
declared, " If any man hav« not the spirit of Christ, 
he is none of his." 



" Shall I eat of this delicacy^ while a poor man 
wants his dinner ?" inquired the pious Leighton, who 
thought people in general much too expensive and 
curious in the preparation of their meals, and wished 
this domestic profusion were turned into a channel of 
distribution to the poor. Everything beyond the mere 
necessaries of life he termed the overflowings of a full 
cup, which ought not to run to waste, but descend into 
the poor man's platter. — Leighton. 



Being told of a person who had changed his profes- 
sion, all he said was, *• Is he more meek, more dead to 
the world ? If so, he has made a happy change." — 
Ibid. 



Our Saviour tells us expressly, that man's life con- 
sisteth not in the abundance of the things he possess- 
eth. (Luke xii. 15.) Think you, great and rich 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 53 

persons live more content ? Believe it not. If they 
will deal fairly, they can tell you the contrary, that 
there is nothing but a show in them ; and that great 
estates and places have great griefs and cares attending 
them, as shadows are proportioned to their bodies. — 
Ibid. 



Better to be in the midst, between the two pointed 
rocks of deep penury and high prosperity, than to be 
on the sharps of either. — Ibid. 



Philip Henry used to say, that many Scripture par- 
ables and similitudes are taken from the common 
actions of this life, that when our hands are employed 
about them, our hearts may the more easily pass 
through them to divine and heavenly things. He has 
been heard often to blame those whose irregular zeal, 
in the profession of religion, makes them neglect their 
proper business, and let the house drop through, the 
affairs of which the good will order with discretion. 
He would tell sometimes, how a pious woman was con- 
vinced of this her fault, by means of an intelligent, 
godly neighbour, who, coming into the house, and 
finding the woman, far in the day, in her closet, and 
the house sadly neglected, he said, " What ! is there 
no fear of God in this house?" which much startled 
and affected the good woman, who overheard him. He 
would often say, " Everything is beautiful in its sea- 
son ; and that is the wisdom of the prudent, so to order 
the duties of their general callings as Christians, and 
those of their particular callings in the world, as that 
they may not clash or interfere. It is observable, 
5* 



54 GLEANINGS FROM 

from Ecclesiastes vii. 16, that there may be over-doing 
in well-doing." — Philip Henet- 



There is a mean, if we could hit it, between fool- 
hardiness and faint-heartedness. — Ibid. 



In those things where all the people of God are 
agreed, I will spend my zeal ; and wherein they differ, 
I will endeavour to walk according to the light which 
God hath given me, and charitably believe that others 
do so too. — Ibid. 



No one knows how much good he may do by dis- 
persing books of piety, which may have a tendency to 
make men wiser and better. It was a noble action of 
some good men, who, a little while ago, were at the 
charge of printing thirty thousand of the " Alarm to 
the Unconverted," written by Joseph Alleine, to be 
given away to such as would promise to read it. — Cot- 
ton Mathee. 



A man of no great fortune has been known to give 
away, without much trouble, nearly a thousand books 
of piety every year, for many years together. Who 
can tell but that, with the expense of less than a shil- 
ling, you may " convert a sinner from the error of his 
ways, and save a soul from death?" — Ibid. 



I see in this world two heaps, of human happiness 
and misery. Now, if I can take the smallest bit from 
one heap, and add to the other, I carry a point. If, 
as I go home, a child has dropped a half-penny, and 
if, by giving it another, I can wipe away its tears, I 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 55 

feel I have done something ; I should be glad, indeed, 
to do greater things, but I will not neglect this. — 
Newton. 



If an angel were sent to find the most perfect man, 
he would probably not find him composing a body of 
divinity ; but perhaps a cripple in a poor-house, whom 
the parish wish dead, and humbled before God, wath 
far lower thoughts of himself than others have of him. 
— Ibid. 



When a Christian goes into the world because he 
sees it his call, yet, while he feels it also his cross, it 
will not hurt him. — Ibid. 



If two angels were sent from heaven to execute a 
divine command, one to conduct an empire, and the 
other to sweep a street in it, the}^ would feel no incli- 
nation to change employments. — Ibid. 



A Christian should never plead spirituality for being 
a sloven. If he be a shoe-cleaner, he should be the 
best in the parish. — Ibid. 



We are surprised at the fall of a famous professor ; 
but, in the sight of God, he was gone before ; it is 
only we that have now first discovered it. " He that 
despiseth small things shall fall by little and little." — 
Ibid. 



There are critical times of danger. After great 
services, honours, and consolations, we should stand 
upon our guard. Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, fell in 



56 GLEANINGS FROM 

these circumstances. Satan is a footpad : a footpad 
will not attack a man in going to the bank, but in re- 
turning with his pocket full of money. — Ibid. 



When we first enter into the divine life, we propose 
to grow rich : God's plan is to make us feel poor. — 
Ibid. 



God deals with us as we do with our children : he 
first speaks, then gives a gentle stroke, at last a blow. 
— Ibid. 



There is the same difference between people nov? as 
there was between the Egyptians and Israel of old. 
Multitudes are buried alive under a cloud of thick 
darkness; but all the Lord's people have light in their 
dwellings. Ah ! how many great and fair houses are 
there without the heavenly inhabitant ! It might be 
written upon their doors, '^ Grod is not here;'' and 
v/hen you go in you may be sure of it, for there is 
neither peace nor truth within the walls. — Ibid. 



In Cicero and Plato, and such other wi'iters, I meet 
with many things wittily said,- and things that have a 
manifest tendency to move the passions; but in none 
of them do I find these words, " Come unto me, all ye 
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest. ' ' — x^UGUSTiN. 



The high and the low, the young and the old, the 
busy and the idle, alike shun acquaintance with God, 
as if his very name brought uneasiness, and disturbed 



PIOUS AUTIIOIIS. 57 

our comfort and repose. If we mention God to the 
young, we too often seem to be troubling them with 
what they had rather forget in such early days : while 
the aged dislike to be reminded of their misfortune, 
that their time on earth is drawing near to an end. 
If we mention God to the gay and happy, we appear 
to be interfering with their pleasures. If we mention 
him to the great and to the learned, they will intimate 
that such subjects belong rather to a humbler class 
and station. But the poor and laborious, on their 
part, refer us to those who have more information and 
more leisure. Thus a large portion of mankind, in all 
classes, strive to keep God out of their thoughts, and 
to live, so far as in them lies, without him in the 
world. Yes, without him, who, as the apostle says, 
''zs not far from any one of us : for in him we live, 
and move, and have our being." Why should they 
act so strangely and unreasonably, if they believed 
that acquaintance with God would give them peace ? — 
Sumner. 



In any adversity that happens to us in this world, 
we ought to consider, that misery and afflictions are 
not less natural than snow and hail, storm and tem- 
pest ; and it were as reasonable to hope for a year 
without winter, as for a life without trouble. Life 
(how sweet soever it seems) is a draught mingled with 
bitter ingredients: some drink deeper than others 
before they come at them ; but if they do not swim at 
the top for youth to taste them, it is ten to one but old 
age will find them thick in the bottom. And it is the 
employment of faith and patience, and the work of 
wisdom and virtue, to teach us to drink the sweet part 



58 GLEANINGS FROM 

down with pleasure and thankfulness, and to swallow 
the bitter without makino; faces. — How. 



Amongst great numbers of men which are accounted 
rich, there are few that really are so. I take him to 
be the only rich man that lives upon what he has, 
owes, nothing, and is contented. For there is no deter- 
minate sum of money, nor quantity of estate, that can 
denote a man rich ; since no man is truly rich that has 
not so much as perfectly satiates his desire of having 
more; for the desire of more is want, and want is 
poverty. — Ibid. 



There can be no friendship where there is no free- 
dom. Friendship loves a free air, and will not be 
penned up in strait and narrow inclosures. It will 
speak freely, and act so too ; and take nothing ill 
where no ill is meant ; nay, where it is, it will easily 
forgive, and forget too, upon small acknowledgments. 
— Penn. 



A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists 
readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends 
courageously, and continues a friend unchangeabh% 
These being the qualities of a friend, we are to find 
them before we choose one. — Ibid. 



Be not easily acquainted ; lest, finding reason to 
cool, thou makest an enemy instead of a good neigh- 
bour. Be reserved, but not sour ; grave, but not for- 
mal; bold, but not rash; humble, but not servile; 
patient, not insensible; constant, not obstinate; cheer- 



PIOUS AUTHOllB. 59 

ful, not light ; rather sweet than familiar ; familiar 
than intimate ; and intimate with very few, and upon 
very good grounds. — Ibid. 



Amuse not thyself with the numerous opinions of 
the world; nor value thyself upon verbal orthodoxy, 
philosophy, or thy skill in tongues, or knowledge of 
the fathers ; (too much the business and vanity of the 
world ;) but in this rejoice, " That thou knowest God, 
that is the Lord, who exerciseth loving-kindness, and 
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.'' — Ibid. 



Force may subdue, but love gains ; and he that for- 
gives first, wins the laurel. — Ibid. 



Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity ; but, for 
that reason, it should be most our care to learn it. 
'^ Difficilis quse pulchra." — Ibid. 



I find all sorts of people agree, whatsoever were 
their animosities, when humbled by the approaches of 
death. Then they forgive, then they pray for, and 
love one another ; which shows us, that it is not our 
reason, but our passion, that makes and holds up the 
feuds that reign among men in their health and ful- 
ness. They, therefore, that live nearest to that state 
in which they should die, must certainly live the best. 
— Ibid. 



" He that lives in love lives in God," says the be- 
loved disciple : and, to be sure, a man can live nowhere 
better. — Ibid. 



60 GLEANINGS FROM 

Love is above all ; and when it prevails in us all, we 
shall all be lovely, and in love with God, and one with 
another. — Ibid. 



The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious, and devout 
souls, are everywhere of one religion ; and when death 
has taken off the mask, they will know one another, 
though the diverse liveries they wear here make them 
strangers. — Ibid. 

Even in this world the righteous have the better of 
it ; for they use the world without rebuke, because 
they do not abuse it : they see and bless the hand that 
feeds, and clothes, and preserves them. And as, by 
beholding him in all his gifts, they do not adore them, 
but Him: so the sweetness of his blessings that gives 
them, is an advantage such have upon those who see 
him not. Besides, in their increase they are not lifted 
up, nor in their adversities are they cast down. And 
why ? Because they are moderated in the one, and 
comforted in the other by his divine presence. In 
short, heaven is the throne, and the earth but the 
footstool of that man that hath self under foot. And 
those that know that station will not easily be moved. 
Such learn to number their days, that they may not 
be surprised with their dissolution ; and to redeem 
their time, because the days are evil ; remembering 
that they are stewards, and must deliver up their 
accounts to an impartial judge. Therefore, not to self, 
but to him they live, and in him die, and are blessed 
with them that die in the Lord- — Ibid. 



Let us all dwell in our only centre, where we may 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 61 

continually meet, and be but one ! We are very near, 
though we see not each other : whereas, people who 
are in the same house and chamber, may live at a 
great distance, as to a true fellowship. God unites 
and brings together the most remote points of distance 
with regard to those hearts that are united in him ! — 
Cambray. 



Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke xiv. 11.) 
Since we are so fond of being exalted, let us seek it 
where it is to be found, and where its existence will be 
eternal. Let us aspire to true greatness, which is only 
to be found by abasing ourselves in this world. God 
confounds the proud ; in this life he sends him many 
cross accidents, and in the end, will humble him for 
ever. But the humble, who desires to live in obscu- 
rity, shall be respected, because he never desired to be 
so ; and an everlasting glory shall be the reward of 
his contempt of a false glory. — Ibid. 



It may be affirmed without any apprehension of 
error, that the greater the degree in which any man 
is a Christian, the less will be his wish to be called a 
lord ; and that, when he attains to the " fulness of the 
stature" of a Christian man, no wish will remain. — 
Dymond. 



The smiles of the world are always more pernicious 

to the soul than its frowns. Its smiles, like a soporific 

draught, soothe the soul into carnal security, whilst its 

frowns drive us to God. — Charles. 
6 



62 GLEAXI^^GS FROM 

However agreeable and edifying the conversation of 
Christian friends, yet we must deny ourselves therein, 
if it encroaches too much on the time (usually) dedi- 
cated to meditation and private prayer ; or we shall, 
in the end, be great losers. This is the life and soul 
of every other duty ; and when it is neglected, the soul 
must be stupid, barren, and sapless. None but God 
can always satisfy ; and here only we are out of dan- 
ger of excess ; and the more we converse with him, the 
better fitted we are to converse with our fellow-crea- 
tures. When' we have received out of his fulness, we 
have wherewith to communicate to others : otherwise 
we have nothing but emptiness ; and when emptiness 
meets with emptiness, there can be no edification. — 
Ibid. 



I find, daily, that I may as well endeavour to take 
up the waters of the ocean with my pen, as to compre- 
hend, spiritually, in the smallest degree, any of the 
"deep things of God," without His teaching who 
"searcheth all things." — Ibid. 



"When the Lord appears to our souls in divine truths, 
he teaches us more in one quarter of an hour, than ten 
thousand years' study without his teaching. None can 
teach like Him. — Ibid. 



It is not our own ease and comfort, but our useful- 
ness, that we should always have in view. — Ibid. 



The fairest prospect often ends in a gloom, and the 
darkest frequently brightens daily more and more. — 
Ibid. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 68 

We are never nearer to God than when we are low- 
est in our own estimation .; and never more pleasing to 
him than when we abhor ourselves, and repent in dust 
and ashes. — Ibid. 



A true sense of our unworthiness makes every bless- 
ing great and precious. — Ibid. 



There is nothing worth living for, but to advance 
the Lord's work. — Ibid. 



A Christian who has not the savour of godliness, 
and to whom the gospel is not daily the savour of life 
unto life, is like salt which has lost its saltness. He 
is good for nothing. He may be acute and extensive 
in his knowledge of divine things ; he may be able to 
talk well on every point ; he may have the form of 
godliness, without the salt which our Saviour exhorts 
us to have in ourselves : he is but a corpus mortuum, 
a dead body without spiritual life. — Ibid. 



When an unexpected cloud gathers and darkens the 
heavens above, let us joyfully expect from it a shower 
of rich blessings ; and when the blessings are come 
the cloud will disperse, and the sun will shine brighter 
than'ever. — Ibid. 



To be tossed by the waves of the world, without the 
refreshing gales of the Spirit, is misery indeed. — Ibid. 



Though God may bring us into the wilderness, yet, 
if he speak comfortably to us, the wilderness will be 
turned into a paradise. — Ibid. 



64 GLEANIXGS FROM 

If the road is rough, let us not complain ; for it 
leads to a glorious rest, -which nothing shall disturb. — 
Ibid. 



What do they not lose, who are strangers to serious 
meditation on the wonders and beauties of created na- 
ture ? How gloriously the God of creation shines in 
his works ! Not a tree, nor leaf, nor flower ; not a 
bird, nor insect, but proclaims in glowing language, 
" God made me !" — Richmond. 



Oh ! how precious ought every hour to be, when 
each may be the last ! — Ibid. 



Travellers, as they pass through the country, usu- 
ally stop to inquire whose are the splendid mansions 
which they discover among the woods and plains 
around them. The families, title, fortune, or charac- 
ter of the respective owners engage much attention. 
Perhaps their houses are exhibited to the admiring 
stranger : the elegant rooms, costly furniture, valuable 
paintings, beautiful gardens and shrubberies, are uni- 
versally approved ; while the rank, fashion, taste, and 
riches of the possessor afford ample materials for en- 
tertaining discussion. In the meantime, the lowly 
cottage of the poor husbandman is passed by, as 
scarcely deserving notice : yet, perchance, such a cot- 
tage may often contain a treasure of infinitely more 
value than the sumptuous palace of the rich man, even 
" the pearl of great price." If this be set in the heart 
of the poor cottager, it proves a gem of unspeakable 
worth, and will shine among the brightest ornaments 



PIOUS AUTIIOKS. $5 

of the Redeemer's croTv'n, in that day when he makes 
up his ''jewels." — Ibid. 



It will be well, while wc contemplate the triumph 
of faith and hope in others, that we should inquire, 
what would be our feelings in the hour of death, and 
under the pressure of affliction. B.eader ! does death 
present the appalling image of a dread eternity to your 
mind ; or does faith open to your view the prospect of 
a glorious immortality ? Time hurries on its rapid 
course. Sorrow or joy — the cry of terror, or the song 
of victory — must, sooner or later, be the portion of 
every child of Adam. Be yours the triumphant song 
— " Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ." — Ibid. 



Prayer. — Prayer eases the soul in times of dis- 
tress, when it is oppressed with griefs and fears, by 
'giving them vent, and that in so advantageous a way, 
emptying them into the bosom of God. The very vent, 
v/ere it but into the air, gives ease ; or speak your 
grief rather to a statue than smoother it ; much more 
ease does it give to pour it forth into the lap of a con- 
fidential and sympathizing friend, even though unable 
to help us; yet still more of one who can help; and 
of all friends, our God is, beyond all comparison, the 
surest, and most affectionate, and most powerful. So, 
(Isa. ixiii. 9,) both compassion and effectual salvation 
are expressed : In all their ojjiictioii Me was afflicted, 
and the angel of His presence saved them : in His love 
and in His inty He redeemed them ; and He bare 
them, ajid carried them all the days of old. And so 
resting on His love, pov,er, and gracious promises, the 



66 GLEANINGS EEOM 

soul quiets itself in God upon this assurance, that it 
is not vain to seek Him, and that Jle desjnseth not the 
sighing of the poor. — (Psalm xii. 5.) — Leighton. 



Oh, how the soul is refreshed with freedom of speech 
with its beloved Lord ! and as it delights in that, so it 
is continually advanced and grows by each meeting 
and conference, beholding the excellency of God, and 
relishing the pure and sublim^e pleasures that are to be 
found in near communion with Him. — Ibid. 



Oar vows are cruel to ourselves, if they demand 
nothing but gentle zephyrs, and flowery fields, and calm 
repose as the lot of our life : for these pleasant things 
often prove the most dangerous enemies to our nobler 
and dearer life. Oh ! how true is that saying, 'Taith 
is safe when in danger, and in danger when secure ; 
and prayer is fervent in straits, but in joyful and pros- 
perous circumstances, if not quite cold and dead, at 
least lukewarm." Oh, happy straits, if they hinder 
the mind from flowing forth upon earthly objects, and 
mingling itself with the mire ; if they favour our cor- 
respondence with Heaven, and quicken our love to 
celestial objects, without which, what we call life, may 
more properly deserve the name of death ! — Ibid. 



A life of indulgence is not the way to Christian per- 
fection. There are many things that appear trifles, 
which greatly tend to enervate the soul, and hinder its 
progress in the path to virtue and glory. The habit 
of indulging in things which our judgments cannot tho- 
roughly approve, grows stronger and stronger by every 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 6*^ 

act of self-gratification, and we are led on, by degrees, 
to an excess of luxury, which must greatly weaken our 
hands in the spiritual warfare. — Woods. 



If sickness, or even death, approach us in our near 
connexions ; if prospects of various sorrows present 
themselves to our view, how calm is that mind whose 
dependence is on the Lord, who considers all the evils 
of this life as things that endure but for a moment; 
and that they may work for us " a far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory !" — Ibid. 



No words are strong enough to paint the proneness 
there is in the very heirs of salvation, to set up rest-' 
ing-places here upon earth. And though they are 
delivered from the base and sordid love of money, or 
the poor gratifications which can be gleaned from the 
honours and pleasures of the world, still they are apt 
to make Christian friends and relations, idols ; and so 
the strength of their affections, which should centre 
and settle all in God, is by this means very much 
weakened and divided. Though we discern not this 
ourselves, or suspect it, our Divine Ph3^sician fully sees 
the growth of the distemper ; and, in love, we are 
separated from our idols. 

Disappointments meet us at every turn : where we 
expected we should be particularly favoured with helps 
and advantages for godly living, we behold ourselves 
left destitute ; so that we have no more a place of 
refuge upon earth, no more a dear counsellor or friend 
who is as our own soul. By this means we are com- 
pelled, as Noah's dove was, by the wide watery waste, 



68 GLEANINGS FROM 

which did not afford a single resting-place, to fly to the 
Ark, and to take shelter there. Our gracious Father, 
"with a loving jealousy over us, thus secures our whole 
love to himself, and appears altogether glorious in our 
eyes ; as the fountain of living waters, when the cisterns 
are broken which we were hewing out for ourselves. 

It pleases God to afflict very heavily those who are 
his dear children by faith in Christ, that they may 
more value the choice they have made. When they 
see the most innocent, nay, the most laudable satisfac- 
tion they could possibly propose to themselves, from 
any creature comfort, all shivered in pieces, as it were, 
in a moment, and water of gall spring up from that 
very person or thing from vrhich they promised them- 
selves abundance of joy ; in such a situation, how in- 
finitely desirable a connexion with Jehovah, never to 
have an end — an union with Him who is far above all 
the changes of this mortal life as heaven is higher than 
the earth I This must be apprehended as the chief of 
all blessings — a portion of itself sufficient. Then the 
souls of the faithful are taught experimentally to say, 
"Vanity of vanities! all is vanity," but Christ and his 
love! "Lord, to whom shall we go ?" from whence 
expect refreshment and consolation, but from thyself 
alone? "All my fresh springs shall be in thee !" — 
Yexn. 



'^ Ee ivent alout doing good :'' — this is the pattern 
for every Christian. He is a counterfeit one, who does 
not strive to imitate it. — Ibid. 



No Cross, no Crown. — Every one that gets to the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. BUT 

throne must put his foot upon the thorn. We must 
taste the gall if we are to taste the glory. Whom God 
justifies by faith, he leads into tribulation also. When 
God brought Israel through the Red Sea, he led them 
into the wilderness ; so, when God saves a soul, he tries 
it. The way to Zion is through the valley of Baca. 
You must go through the wilderness of Jordan, if you 
are to come to the land of promise. Some believers are 
much surprised when they are called upon to suffer. 
They thought they would do some great thing for God; 
but all that God permits them to do is to suffer. Go 
round to every one in glory — every one has a different 
story, yet every one has a tale of suffering. One was 
persecuted in his family, by his friends and compan- 
ions ; another was visited with sore pains and humbling 
diseases, neglected by the world ; another had all these 
afflictions meeting in one — deep called upon deep. 
Mark, all are brought out of them. It was a dark 
cloud, but it passed away ; the water was deep, but 
they have reached the other side. Not one of them 
blames God for the road he led them; "salvation" is 
their only cry. Are there any of you, dear children, 
murmuring at your lot? Do not sin against God. 
This is the way God leads all his redeemed ones. You 
must have a palm as well as a white robe. No pain, 
no palm ; no cross, no crown ; no thorn, no throne ; 
no gall, no glory. Learn to glory in tribulation also. 
" I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are 
not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be 
revealed in us." — M'Cheyne. 



He that troubles not himself with anxious thoughts 
for more than is necessary, lives little less than the life 



70 GLEAIy^INGS FROM 

of angels ; "whilst, by a mind content with little, he 
imitates their want of nothing. — Cave. 



There are many among ourselves who may be able 
to describe the nature of sound religion, and to make 
nice and accurate distinctions in its doctrines while 
they detect the ignorance and gross mistakes of others, 
yet feel nothing in themselves of the influence of real 
piety. It should be remembered that godliness con- 
sists, not so much in a system of right notions, as in 
holy and spiritual affections, regulating the whole con- 
duct. — Robinson. 



If they have called the master of the house Beelze- 
huh, how much more shall they call them of his house- 
hold f (Matt. X. 24.) A bitter scoff, an evil name, re- 
proaches for Christ, why do these fret thee ? They 
were a part of thy Lord's entertainment while he was 
here. Thou art even in this, a partaker of His suffer- 
ings, and in this way is He bringing thee forward to 
the partaking of His glory. 



What is a slothful sinner to think of himself, when 
he reads concerning the holy Jesus, that "in the morn- 
ing, rising up a great while before day, he went out 
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed!" 
(Mark i. 35.)— Horne. 



As to the afflictions which persons may suffer who 
are embarked in a righteous cause, they are intended 
to purge away the dross, and to refine them for the 
Master's use. — Ibid. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 71 

The sweet experience of former deliverances giveth 
a comfortable assurance of protection in present and 
future dangers ; and this should cause us to fly for 
refuge, at all times, by strong supplication and prayer, 
to Him who is able and willing to save us from death. 
— Ibid. 



" ! how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid 
up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought 
for them that trust in thee before the sons of men !" 
Peace of conscience, the comforts of the Spirit, and 
the hope of future glory, will teach the soul, even in 
the darkest night of affliction, to break forth into this 
exulting strain of gratitude and praise, for the bless- 
ings experienced by those who confess their Saviour 
before men. — Ibid. 



God " seeth" and knoweth all things ; yet he per- 
mitteth those who love him best to be often and long 
afflicted and oppressed, seeming as one at a "distance," 
or "silent," or "asleep," that is, regardless of what 
passes. At such times we are not to remit, but to dou- 
ble our diligence in prayer, reiterating our cries, "Lord, 
save us ! we perish !" Then will he "awake and arise, 
and rebuke the winds and the seas, and there shall be 
a calm." — Ibid. 



In heaven alone, the thirst of an immortal soul after 
happiness can be satisfied. There the streams of Eden 
will flow again. They who drink of them shall forget 
their earthly poverty, and remember the miseries of 
the world no more. Some drops from the celestial 
cup are sufficient, for a time, to make us forget our 



72 GLEANINGS FROM 

sorrows, even while we are in the midst of them. What 
then may we not expect from full draughts of those 
pleasures which are at thy right hand, Lord ! for 



So far is charity from impoverishing, that what is 
given away, like vapours emitted by the earth, returns 
in showers of blessings into the bosom of the person 
who gave it, and his offspring is not the worse, but 
infinitely the better for it. " The liberal soul shall be 
made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also 
himself." (Prov. xi. 25.) The bread which endureth, 
as well as that which perisheth, is his ; and the bles- 
sings of time are crowned with those of eternity. — Ibid. 



Whatever materials compose the rod of affliction, 
and from whatever quarter the stroke cometh, let us 
remember that the rod is grasped, and the stroke is 
inflicted, by the hand of our heavenly Father. — Ibid. 



There is a time when the triumphs of the adversary, 
and the afflictions of the church, tempt men to think 
that the eye of Providence is closed, or turned away, 
and that the Almighty hath ceased to remember their 
sad estate. But the truth is, that God only giveth his 
people an opportunity of feeling their ovf n insufficiency, 
and waiteth till, by fervent and importunate prayer, 
they solicit his help. For so the holy Jesus slept, 
while the ship was covered with the vfaves, until, awa- 
kened hj the cries of his disciples, he arose to theii 
assistance, and spoke the tempest into a perfect calm. 
— Ibid. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 73 

Various are the contrivances of vain men, to have 
their names written on earth, and to procure, after 
their deaths, an imaginary immortality for themselves 
and their families, in the memory and conversation of 
posterity, which is not often obtained ; and if obtained, 
is of no value ; when, with less trouble, they mighi 
have had their names written in heaven, and have 
secured to themselves a blessed immortality in the glo- 
rious kingdom of their Redeemer. — Ibid. 



The soul that is sensible of her pollution, fears she 
can never be sufficiently purified from it ; and there- 
fore prays, yet again and again, continually, for more 
abundant grace, to make and to keep her holy. — Ibid. 



He that would employ his abilities, his influence, and 
his authority, in the reformation of others, must take 
care to reform himself, before he enters upon the work. 
"When thou art converted," said Christ to St. Peter, 
"strengthen thy brethren." (Luke xxii. 32.) — Ibid. ; 



Happy the man to vv^hom, in the day of trouble, the 
*'name of the Lord is a strong tower," into which "he 

runneth and is safe." (Prov. xviii. 10.) Happy the 

man that can, with an holy confidence, commit his 
cause to the judgment and determination of God, and 
expect redress from the Almighty. His prayer mount- 
eth up to heaven, and returneth not without a bles- 
sing. — Ibid. 



Solitude and stillness render the "night watches'* a 
lit season for meditation on the so often experienced 
mercies of God ; which, when thus called to remera- 

7 



74 GLEAXIXGS PROM 

"brance, become a delicious repast to the spirit, filling 
it with all jo J, and peace, and consolation; giving 
songs in the night, and making darkness itself cheer- 
ful. How cheerful, then, will be that last morning, 
when the righteous, awaking up after the divine like- 
ness, shall be "satisfied" with all the fulness of God, 
and "praise him with joyful lips," in those eternal 
courts, where there is no night, and from whence sor- 
row and sighing fly far away ! — Ibid. 



The call of David from a sheepfold to a throne 
teacheth us, that he who hath showed himself faithful 
in a few and small concerns, is worthy of promotion to 
more, and more important cares ; that the qualifications 
requisite for the due discharge of high offices are best 
learned, at first, in an inferior station, especially if it 
be one that will inure to labour and vigilance ; and 
that kings are to consider themselves as "shepherds:" 
which consideration would, perhaps, teach their duty 
better than all the precepts in the world. — Ibid. 



One day spent in meditation and devotion affordeth 
a pleasure far, far superior to that which an age of 
worldly prosperity could give. Happier is the least 
and lowest of the servants of Jesus, than the greatest 
and most exalted potentate who knoweth him not. And 
he is no proper judge of blessedness, who hesitates a 
moment to prefer the condition of a penitent in the 
porch, to that of a sinner on the throne. — Ibid. 



Fervent and importunate prayer to the God of our 
salvation will procure from above, knowledge to dispel 
our ignorance, and grace to help our infirmities : the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 75 

former will discover to us our road, tlie latter will ena- 
ble us to walk in it; and both together will carry us, in 
due time, to the " city of our eternal habitation." — Ibid. 



Truth and holiness afford to the sincere believer a 
pleasure more exquisite, as well as more solid and en- 
during, than that which a miser feels at the acquisition 
of his darling wealth. Let us no longer envy the joys 
of worldly men, no longer be chagrined at the pros- 
perity of the wicked. The "true riches" we may 
always acquire ; and, surely, as much as the heaven is 
higher than the earth, so much are heavenly joys above 
earthly, in kind, degree, and duration. — Ibid. 



Solomon took an inventory of the world, and all the 
best things in it : he cast up the account, and the sum 
total was vanity. — Ibid. 



No external pressure can take away that spiritual 
"liberty" which the faithful Christian experienceth, 
when he hath made an open confession of the truth, 
and determined at all events to do his duty. Then he 
is no longer straitened by fear, but set at large by 
love. "The truth maketh him free," and he " walketh 
in the liberty of the children of God ;" a liberty which 
they only obtain "who seek his precepts," and, by the 
performance of them, are rescued from the bondage 
both of tyrannical desires and slavish fears. — Ibid. 



A true penitent suffereth no time to be lost between 
his good resolutions and the performance of them. 
"Draw me," saith the church; "we will RUN after 
thee." (Cant. i. 4.) Andrew, Peter, and others, 



76 GLEAXINGS FROM 

stayed not for a second call from Christ, but followed 
him immediately upon the first. By deferring our 
return to duty, we lose many comfortable fruits, which 
it would have produced both in ourselves and others: 
while the difficulties of ever returning, and the danger 
of never returning, are daily and hourly increasing. — 
Ibid. 



Christianity, be it remembered, proposes not to ex- 
tinguish our natural desires, but to bring them under 
just control, and direct them to their true objects. In 
the case both of riches and of honour, she maintains 
the consistency of her character. While she commands 
us not to set our hearts on earthly treasures, she re- 
minds us that ^'we have in Heaven a better and more 
enduring substance" than this world can bestow; and 
while she represses our solicitude respecting earthly 
credit, and moderates our attachment to it, she holds 
forth to us and bids us habitually to aspire after, the 
splendours of that better state, v/here is true glory, 
and honour, and immortality ; thus exciting in us a 
just ambition, suited to our high origin, and worthy 
of our large capacities, which the little, misplaced, and 
perishable distinctions of this life would in vain at- 
tempt to satisfy. — AYilberforce. 



The title of Christian is a reproach to us, if we 
estrange ourselves from him after whom we are denom- 
inated. The name of Jesus is not to be to us like 
the Allah of the Mahometans, a talisman, or an amu- 
let to be worn on the arm, merely as an external badge 
and symbol of our profession, and to preserve us from 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 77 

evil bj some mysterious and unintelligible potency ; 
but it is to be engraven deeply on the heart, there 
written by the finger of God himself in everlasting 
characters. It is our sure and undoubted title to pre- 
sent peace and future glory. The assurance which 
this title conveys of a bright reversion, will lighten the 
burdens and alleviate the sorrows of life ; and in some 
happier moments, it will impart to us somewhat of that 
fulness of joy which is at God's right hand, enabling 
us to join, even here, in the heavenly Hosannah : 
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, 
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and 

glory, and blessing." "Blessing, and honour, and 

glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the 
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." — Ibid. 



There is one class of dangers pertaining alike to 
every profession, every branch of study, every kind 
of distinct pursuit. I mean the danger in each, to him 
who is devoted to it, of over-rating its importance as 
compared with others, and again of unduly extending 
its province. To a man who has no enlarged views, 
no general caltiration of mind, and no familiar inter- 
course with the enlightened and the worthy of other 
classes besides his own, the result must be more or less 
of the several forms of narroiv-mindedness. To apply 
to all questions, on all subjects, the same principles 
and rules of judging that are suitable to the particular 
questions and subjects about which he is especially con- 
versant ; — to bring in those subjects and questions on 
all occasions, suitable or unsuitable, like the painter 
Horace alludes to, who introduced a cypress Ii-qq into 



7s GLEANINGS FROM 

the picture of a shipwreck ; — to regard his own parti- 
cular pursuit as the one important and absorbing in- 
terest ; — to look on all other events, transactions, and 
occupations, chiefly as they minister more or less to 
that ; — and to feel a clannish attachment to the mem- 
bers of that particular profession or class he belongs 
to as a hody or class, (an attachment, by the bye, 
which is often limited to the collective class, and not 
accompanied with kindly feelings towards the indi- 
vidual members of it,) and to have more or less an 
alienation of feeling from those of other classes : — all 
these, and many other such, are symptoms of that 
narrow-mindedness, w^hich is to be found alike in all 
who do not carefully guard themselves against it, what- 
ever may be the profession or department of study of 
each. — Whately. 



Let none compromise their principles. Let none 
concede to the practices of the world, from the mista- 
ken notion of conciliating prejudices, or winning over 
the uno'odlv to religion. "We must be singular if we 
would be holy; we must be consistent, if we would be 
useful. If we are faithful, we must indeed expect 
reproach ; if we boldly confess Christ before men, and 
steadily maintain that marked distinction which forms 
the line of separation between the church and the 
world, we must submit to have our names cast out as 
evil. But true Christians ought never to shrink from 
the cross. Like Caleb, they should follow the Lord 
fully, when all else forsake him; and, like Joshua, they 
should declare, with humility and integrity of heart, 
in the face of a sneering world: "As for me and my 
house w^e will serve the Lord." We must let men see 



PIOUS AUTHOllS. 79 

i\\Q foundation of our practice, and why we cannot do 
as others do. We must make them acquainted with 
our principles, and let them know what are those 
secret springs of action which cause us to move in a 
direction so opposed to theirs. This frank and ingen- 
uous conduct may open the minds and touch the hearts 
of some, who, through grace, may be led to say : " We 
will go with you, for we perceive that God is with 
you." At all events, such upright dealing will bring 
comfort into our own souls, and preserve us from fall- 
ing into those snares which Satan lays to catch the 
fearful and double-minded professor. But if we are 
habitually afraid of being decided ; if we endeavour 
to keep fair with the world ; if we want to live like the 
borderers between the two kins-doms of light and dark- 
ness, maintaining a sort of friendly intercourse with 
the inhabitants on either side of the line ; if we are 
ashamed of avowing our principles before men, when 
duty and the honour of Christ call for such an avowal ; 
then we may be assured, on the truth of the gospel, 
that we have no scriptural evidence of being the child- 
ren of God ; for thus saith our divine Saviour : "Who- 
soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny 
before my Father which is in heaven." "If we deny 
him, he will also deny us." — Anon. 



The true believer in Jesus has the sweetest enjoy- 
ment of life. He can eat his meat with singleness of 
heart, praising God. He can taste the sweets of 
Christian friendship, and domestic life. He can enjoy 
all the endearing charities of husband, father, brother. 
He can feel his heart expanding towards the poor, and 
find his joy in pouring the balm of consolation into the 



80 GLEAXIXGS FROM 

troubled breast. He can delight in 
of natural scenery, and relish all the charms of sound 
philosophy. He can rejoice in every opening prospect 
for the extension of the Eedeemer's kingdom, through 
institutions devised by Christian wisdom, and conducted 
in Christian simplicity. He can weep in his best mo- 
ments over the ruins of the fall, not only as felt in his 
own heart, but as beheld in the abject condition of the 
millions of mankind. He can " rejoice with them that 
do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Say then, 
can such a man be miserable ? can such a man be des- 
titute of sources of real enjoyment ? He lives by faith. 
He longs for heaven. He desires to be daily con- 
formed to Jesus, and to glorify him more, whether it 
be by life or death. To him '' to live is Christ, and to 
die is gain." — Anoin. 



r ^ q i i s ^ ^ S r i b e i^ s . 



DuRiNa the forty years' pilgrimage of Israel in the 
wilderness, a preternatural column of fire and cloud 
attended the camp. It rested with them, and moved 
on before them, directing and conducting them in 
their journeys : in the night season it was a bright 
and shining light ; and in the day time it aiforded a 
grateful, cooling shade from the burning heat of those 
sultry deserts. Thus is Christ present with his church, 
while she sojourns upon earth ; guiding her steps, en- 
lightening her darkness, and mitigating her sorrows. 



Round each habitation hov'ring, 

See the cloud and fire appear ! 
For a glory and a cov'ring, 

Showing that the Lord is near. 
Thus deriving from their banner, 

Light by night and shade by day ; 
Safe they feed upon the manna 

Which he gives them, when they pray. 



Precious ointment is not more grateful to the smell, 
nor morning dew more refreshing to the sight, than 
domestic love is to the soul. 



(81) 



82 GLEANINGS FROM 

Henry IV., Emperor of Germany, used to say, 
"Many know much, but few know themselves." 



If it be so valued a privilege here on earth to enjoy 
the communion of saints, and to take sweet counsel 
together with our fellow travellers towards the hea- 
venly kingdom, what shall we see and know, when we 
finally " come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of 
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an 
innumerable company of angels, to the general assem- 
bly and church of the First-born which are written in 
heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits 
of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the Mediator 
of the new covenant?" If, during the sighs and tears 
of a mortal pilgrimage, the consolations of the Spirit 
are so precious, and the hope full of immortality is so 
animating to the soul, what heart can conceive, or 
what tongue can utter its superior joys, when arrived 
at that gate where sighing and sorrow flee away, and 
the tears shall be wiped from every eye ? 



When individuals are first afi'ected with a deep sense 
of their state by nature, they begin to pray. Thus, 
when the apostle Paul was first convinced of sin, the 
Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, and directed him 
to go and " inquire, in the house of Judas, for one 
called Saul of Tarsus; for behold," said He, "he 
prayeth." 



Paul, the destroyer, kneels to pray — 
.Behold the martyr rise instead ! 
Behold him ! mark that melting eye, 
Which late so fierce his o-lances threw ! 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 83 

Behold him ! labouriEg dauntlessly, 

Hopes, prospects, objects, "All things new!" 



Happy the soul, whose wishes climb 
To mansions in the skies ! 

He looks on all the joys of time 
With undesiring eyes. 



Fenelon observed, shortly before his death : " Had 
I viewed only the glory of this world, I would have 
said to death, when he presented to me the cup of bit- 
terness, ^ Let that cup pass from me.' But, happily, 
my thoughts were entirely taken up with heaven, and 
I exclaimed to myself, ' How pleasing is this cup !' " 



I feel this mud-wall cottage shake, 

And long to see it fall, 
That I my willing flight may take 

To Him who is my all. 



In thy desire to observe a courteous demeanour, let 
not thine eye be dazzled by external appearances of 
persons, to the overlooking of those who are accepta- 
bly and unostentatiously filling a less exalted station, 
satisfied with the reward which cometh from God only. 



He that thinks he loves God enough, shows himself 
too much a stranger to that holy sensation ; so he that 
thinks he has humility enough, shows that he is far 
short of the practice of humility. 



He that supposes he lives without folly, is not so 
wise as he thinks himself. 



84 GLEANINGS EROM 

At thirty, man suspects himself a fool ; 
Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan ; 
At fifty, chides his infamous delay, 
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve : 
In all the magnanimity of thought 
Resolves, and re-resolves ; then dies the same. 



We need not stay for leisure hours to shut the door 
and retire ; for whenever we regret the want of retire- 
ment, it is enou'gh to introduce us into it : even when 
at meals, or while others are talking, unprofitable dis- 
courses instead of tiring may relieve us, by affording 
some interval of inward retirement. Thus all things 
are converted into good to those who love God. 



And ah ! how precious is His love 
In tenderest touches given; 

It whispers of the bliss above, 
And stays the soul on heav'n. 



How few seem properly to consider the baneful 
influence which the giving way to ill temper diffuses 
over the circle of their family and friends ! In such a 
wilderness of thorns and briars as this world, where we 
can scarcely touchy much less venture to grasp, any 
object without now and then being wounded, how need- 
ful is it to be possessed of that heavenly principle, 
which, like the balm of Gilead spoken of by the pro- 
phet, (Jer. viii. 22,) shall drop its holy unction into 
the corroding irritation of the fallen nature, and from 
the very bosom of distress and disappointment, elicit a 
sweetness which breathes the atmosphere of heaven 
around it. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 85 

But oh ! how different is the case when the leading 
persons in a family, be it father, mother, humoured 
son or daughter, disturbed bj that common position of 
human aifairs which is usually characterized by the 
expression of " things going cross,'' comes, in the po- 
tent dominion of selfishness, to scatter the withering 
blight of an unhappy temper through the whole habi- 
tation ! The chill of an ice-house is but a faint image 
of the congelation of heart which such a spirit pro- 
duces on all that is amiable in social feeling. And 
alas ! to deaden and blight anything that is tender, 
and kind, and lovely in our fellow creatures can be no 
light offence against a God whose nature and whose 
name is love. 



If thy temper be naturally turbulent, be mindful of 
the blessed effect of Divine grace in enabling to over- 
come. " He that is slow to anger is better than the 
mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that 
taketh a city." (Prov. xvi. 32.) 



Temptation, 'tis true, will assail, 
And trial without and within; 
And deeply his soul must bewail 
For inward corruption and sin. 

But the rags he once counted his own, 
Are consumed in celestial flame ; 
And a mantle is over him thrown, 
Wash'd white in the blood of the Lamb. 



A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists 



86 GLEANINGS FROM 

readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends 
courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably. 



He that gives to all without discretion, will soon 
stand in need of the assistance of others. Liberality 
does not consist so much in giving largely as in giving 
seasonably. 

Thou who never knew'st 



A serious thought! shalt thou dare dream of joy? 



The Earl of Kinnowl, after an allusion to his age 
and infirmities, continued : '' My time in this world 
cannot now be long ; but with truth I can declare, 
that in the midst of all my past afilictions, my heart 
was supported and comforted by a firm reliance upon 
the merits and atonement of my Saviour ; and now, 
in the prospect of entering upon an eternal world, this 
is the only foundation of my confidence and hope." 



Happy indeed it is, where grace has so strikingly 
supported its conflict with natural pride, self-import- 
ance, the allurements of luxury, ease, and worldly 
opinion, that the noble and mighty appear adorned 
with genuine poverty of spirit, self-denial, humble- 
mindedness, and deep spirituality of heart. 



Too many, shock'd at what should charm them most, 

Despise the plain direction, and are lost. 

Heaven on such terms! (they cry with proud disdain, 

Incredible, impossible, and vain ! 

Bebel, because 'tis easy to obey ; 

And scorn, for its own sake, the gracious way. 



PIOUS AITTITOIIS. 

These arc the sober, in whose cooler brains 
Some thought of immortality remains ; 
The rest, too busy or too gay to wait 
On the sad theme — their everlasting state, 
Sport for a day, and perish in a night : 
The foam upon the waters not so light. 



Were every noble mind sensible of the extensive 
information, of the lofty and sublime ideas, of the ex- 
quisitely fine feelings which result from occasional re- 
tirement, they w^ould frequently quit the world, even 
in the earliest periods of youth, to taste the sweets of 
solitude, and lay the foundation of a wise old age. 



Silence, how I love thy shade ! 
'Tis the paradise of thought ! 
'Tis where wisdom's laws are made. 
And where all her truths are taught. 



Say not, how can mortals ascend to heaven ? Faith 



hath wings, and meditation is its chariot. 



The frequent, believing views of glory are the most 
precious cordials in all afflictions. These cordials, by 
cheering our spirits, render sufferings far more easy ; 
enable us to bear them with patience and joy ; and 
strengthen our resolutions not to forsake Christ for 
fear of trouble. 



Breathe from the gentle south, Lord, 
And cheer me from the north ; 

Blow on the treasures of thy w^ord, 
And call the spices forth ! 



88 GLEANI]SGS EHOM 

I wish, thou know'st, to be resign'd, 
And wait with patient hope : 

But hope delay'd fatigues the mind, 
And drinks the spirits up. 

Help me to reach the distant goal, 
Confirm my feeble knee ; 

Pity the sickness of a soul 
That faints for love of thee. 



He that gathereth not with Christ, scattereth abroad. 



The power which wealth confers, should be exercised 
in the pleasure of doing good. 



No man ever did a designed injury to another, with- 
out doing a greater to himself. 



Were we to live under the sensible influence of 
divine love, we should be active, vigorous, and steady 
in the performance of every divine precept or com- 
mand. The ways of God would not then appear bur- 
thensome or grievous, but, as they truly are, " ways 
of pleasantness and paths of peace." 



None sends his arrow to the mark in view, 
Whose hand is feeble, or his aim untrue. 
For though, ere yet the shaft is on the wing, 
Cr when it first forsakes th' elastic strino-. 
It err but little from th' intended line, 
It falls at last far wide of his design : 
So he who seeks a mansion in the sky, 
Must watch his purpose vfith a steadfast eye ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 89 

That prize belongs to none but the sincere, 
The least obliquity is fatal here. 



The desire of being thought wise is often an hinder- 
ance to becoming so, for such an one is more solicitous 
to let the world see what knovfledge he hath, than to 
learn that which he vrants. 



Stillest streams 
Oft water fairest meadows, and the bird 
That flutters least is longest on the wing. 



He is the happy man, whose life e'en now 
Shows somewhat of that happier life to come ; 
Who, doom'd to an obscure but tranquil state, 
Is pleas'd with it, and, were he free to choose, 
Would make his fate his choice ; whom peace, the fruit 
Of virtue, and whom virtue, fruit of faith, 
Prepare for happiness ; bespeak him one 
Content indeed to sojourn, while he must, 
Below the skies, but having there his home. 



Of him that hopes to be forgiven, it is indispensably 
required that he forgive. 



The mind is never so sensibly disposed to pity the 
sufferings of others, as when it is itself subdued and 
softened by calamity. 



Adversity diffuses a kind of sacred calm over the 
breast, that is the parent of thouglitfulness and medi- 
tation. 



8* 



90 GLEANINGS FROM 

Happy is he who endeth the business of his life 
before his death ; -who, when the hour of it cometh, 
hath nothing to do but to die. 



Thankless for favours from on high, 
Man thinks he fades too soon ; 

Though 'tis his privilege to die, 
Would he improve the boon. 



Addison, when on his death-bed, sent for an accom- 
plished youth, nearly related to him, who, on his arri- 
val, said, " Dear sir, you sent for me, I believe, and I 
hope you have some commands ; if you have, I shall 
hold them most sacred." May distant ages not only 
hear but feel the reply ! Forcibly grasping the youth's 
hand, he said, *' See in what peace a Christian can 
die !" he spoke with difficulty, and soon expired. 
Through grace divine, how great is man ! through 
divine mercy, how stingless death ! Who would not 
thus expire? 



The chamber, where the good man meets his fate, 

Is privileg'd beyond the common walk 

Of virtuous life, quite on the verge of heaven. 



The advantages of frequent thoughts on death are 
unspeakably great ; and most erroneous is the notion, 
that gloominess must be the consequence of such 
meditation. 



We've no abidiDg city here ; 
We seek a city out of sight ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 91 

Zion its name ; the Lord is there ; 
It shines with everlasting light. 



" That is a large house, father," said a young person, 
riding by the mansion of a friend. The reply, after a 
lapse of thirty years, is now fresh in memory. " Ah ! 
my dear, six feet by two will do in a little while." 



The poet Cowper observed, he would rather " be the 
obscure tenant of a lath-and-plaster cottage with a 
lively sense of the interest of his Redeemer, than the 
most admired object of public notice without it." 
" Alas !" said he, '' what is a whole poem, even one of 
Homer's, compared with a single aspiration that finds 
its way immediately to God, though clothed in ordinary 
language, or perhaps not articulated at all?" 



What various hind'rances we meet 

In coming to a mercy-seat ! 

Yet who that knows the worth of pray'r, 

But wishes to be often there ? 



0, that such as know not God could be persuaded 
to seek their happiness in him and his service ! Then 
would they learn, that while the world promises fair, 
and can jdeld them eventually nothing but dissatisfac- 
tion, God can and will, even in this life, exceed the 
utmost of their soul's desires ! They would find that 
the pleasures of religion are as sweet as they are pure ; 
still expanding and still rising higher and higher, till 
they are perfected in heaven. They would know, that 
not only the assurance of heaven is attainable on earth, 
hut the earnest of it is enjoyed; and that the peace of 



92 GLEANINGS FROM 

a Christian is '' a peace that passeth all understand- 
ing ;" the joy of the believer," a joj that is unspeaka- 
ble and full of glory." 



"And must I then die?" said the unhappy and 
ambitious Cardinal Beaufort ; " will not all my riches 
save me ? I could purchase the kingdom, if that would 
prolong my life. Alas ! there is no bribing death !" 



In human hearts, what bolder thoughts can rise, 
Than man's presumption on to-morrow's dawn? 
Where is to-morrow ? In another world. 
For numbers, this is certain ; the reverse 
Is sure to none. 



True wisdom consists, not so much in the acquire- 
ment of knowledge, as in its right application to useful 
purposes. 



Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one, 
Have ofttimes no connexion. Knowledge dwells 
In heads replete with thoughts of other men ; 
Wisdom in minds attentive to their own. 
Knowledge, a rude unprofitable mass. 
The mere materials with which wisdom builds, 
Till smooth'd, and squar'd, and fitted to its place, 
Does but encumber whom it seems t'enrich. 
Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; 
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more. 



Hfc LS a true friend, who seeing another pursue a 
dangerous course, will risk the consequence of a faith- 
ful and well-timed remonstrance. 



PIOUS AL'THORS. 



He holds no parley with unmanly fears ; 
Where duty bids, he confidently steers ; 
Faces a thousand dangers at her call, 
And trusting in his God, surmounts them all. 



Were we called upon to name the object under the 
sun which excites the deepest commiseration in the 
heart of Christian sensibility, which includes in itself 
the most affecting incongruities, which contains the 
sum and substance of real human misery, we should 
not hesitate to say, an irreligious old age. 



While worldly men enlarge their possessions and 
extend their connexions, they imagine that they are 
strengthening themselves against all the possible vicissi- 
tudes of life. They say in their heart, " My mountain 
stands strong, and I shall never be moved." But so 
fatal is their delusion, that, instead of strengthening, 
they are weakening that which only can support them 
when those vicissitudes come. 



When the world was drowned, there was only one 
ark ; when the Israelites in the wilderness were bitten 
by the fiery flying serpents, there was only one remedy; 
and for lost sinners, there is only one Saviour. But 
he is an all-sufiicient and glorious Saviour. 



Nothing short of that uniform, staple principle, that 
fixedness in religion which directs a man in all his 
actions, aims, and pursuits, to God as his ultimate 
end, can give consistency to his conduct, or tranquillity 
to hi? soul. 



94 GLEANINGS FROM 

What is the Christian's course ? — The Scriptures say, 
"Brighter and brighter, to the perfect day I" 



" Faint, yet pursuing," must be the Christian's motto* 

His warfare is within. There unfatigu'd 
His fervent spirit labours. There he fights, 
And there obtains fresh triumphs o'er himself. 
And never with'ring wreaths, compar'd with which 
The laurels that a C^sar reaps are weeds. 

There is no readier way for a man to bring his own 
worth into question than by endeavouring to detract 
from the worth of other men. 



All knowledge well applied is excellent as far as it 
goes, and as long as it lasts. But how short is the 
period before " tongues shall cease, and knowledge 
shall vanish away 1" 



The busy race examine and explore 

Each creek and cavern of the dang'rous shore ; 

With care collect what in their eyes excels, 

Some, shining pebbles, and some, weeds and shells; 

Thus laden, dream that they are rich and great, 

And happiest he that groans beneath his weight ; 

The waves o'ertake them in their serious play, 

And every hour sweeps multitudes away : 

They shriek and sink ; survivors start and weep, 

Pursue their sport, and follow to the deep. 



He who is brought to serious reflection by the salu- 
tary affliction of a sick-bed, will look back with aston- 
ishm.ent on his former false estimate of worldly things. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 95. 

Riches ! beauty ! pleasure ! genius ! fame ! — what are 
they in the eyes of the sick and dying? 

What a lesson against selfishness have we in the 
conduct of our dying Redeemer I — It was while bear- 
ing his cross to the place of execution, that he said to 
the sorrowing multitude, " Weep not for me, but for 
yourselves, and for your children." 



The hope of heaven will soften the pangs which lie 
in the way to it. "I reckon," says St. Paul, "that 
the afflictions of this present life are not worthy to be 
compared with the glory that shall be revealed." 



Death's but a path that must be trod 
If man would ever pass to God ; 
A port of calms, a state of ease, ^ 
From the rough rage of swelling seas. 



If thou wouldst have more light and beat, why art 
thou no more in the sunshine ? For want of this re- 
course to heaven, thy soul is a lamp that is not lighted, 
and thy duties as a sacrifice which hath no fire. Fetch 
one coal daily from this altar, and see if thy offering 
will not burn. Light thy lamp at this flame, and feed 
it daily with oil from hence, and see if it will not glo- 
riously shine. Keep close to this reviving fire, and 
see if thv affections will not be warm. 



Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, 

The Christian's native air. 
His watch-word at the gates of death ; 

He enters heaven by prayer. 



We must march on, though temptations surround 



96 GLEANINGS FROM 

US ; as a traveller surprised by a storm, wraps himself 
up in his cloak and proceeds, notwithstanding the foul- 
ness of the weather. 



The Christian moves on — 

" to meet his latter end, 
Angels around befriending virtue's friend : 
Bends to the grave with unperceived decay, 
While resignation gently slopes the way ; 
And all his prospects, brightening to the last. 
His heaven commences ere the world be past!" 



Neither intellectual superiority nor educational ad- 
vantages can supply the defect of a tenacious and 
self-confident manner : better is it to prove that in 
honour we prefer one another. 



Discourse may want an animated — No, 
To brush the surface, and to make it flow ; 
But still remember, if you mean to please, 
To press your point with modesty and ease. 

The more perfect our resignation, the greater will 
be our peace. 

Ah ! happy resignation, 
That triumphs in its fall ; 
That seeks no exaltation, 
But wins by losing all. 

That conquers by complying, 
Obedient to its lot ; 
That lives when it is dying, 
And is when it is not. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 97 

What cannot resignation do ? 

It wonders can perform : — 
That powerful word, '' Thy will be done !" 

Can lav the loudest storm. 



We must never think of those who disquiet us, but 
in order to forgive them ; we must regard God in them, 
who makes use of them to exercise our humility, our 
patience, and our love of the cross. We shall here- 
after, in the presence of God, see how useful they have 
been to us who have crucified us, by nailing us to the 
cross with Jesus Christ. The pains they cause will 
soon pass away, but the fruit resulting from them will 
be everlasting. 

^ As health to bodies bitter draughts impart, 
So trials are but physic to the heart. 



"Live while you live," the epicure would say, 
"Nor lose the pleasures of the present day;" 
"Live while you live," — the sacred preacher cries, 
"And give to God each moment as it flies :'' 
Lord ! in my view let both united be ; — 
I live in pleasure, while I live to thee. 



Let us keep " the unity of the spirit in the bond of 
peace." Let this soft and single knot of love tie our 
hearts together. 



Our zeal, if it be heavenly, if it be true sacred fire 
kindled from above, will not delight to tarry here 
below, burning up straw and stubble, and such com- 
bustible things, and sending up nothing but gross, 
earthly fumes to heaven ; but it will rise up, and 
9 



98 GLEANINGS FROM 

return back, pure as it came down, and "will be ever 
stirring to carry up men's hearts to God along with it. 

Jesus, the Shepherd of thy sheep ! 

Thy '' little flock" in safety keep! 

The flock for which thou cam'st from heav'n, 

The flock for which thy life was giv'n ! 



Importance oe Punctuality. — Method is the very 
hinge of business ; and there is no method without 
punctuality. Punctuality is important, because it sub- 
serves the peace and good temper of a family : the 
want of it not only infringes on necessary duty, but 
sometimes excludes this duty ; the calmness of mind 
which it produces is another advantage of punctuality. 
A disorderly man is always in a hurry ; he has no time 
to speak to you, because he is going elsewhere ; and 
when he gets there, he is too late for his business, or 
he must hurry away to another before he can finish it. 
Punctuality gives weight to character. "Such a man 
has made an appointment — then I know he will keep 
it." And this generates punctuality in you; for, like 
other virtues, it propagates itself. Servants and child- 
ren must be punctual where their leader is so. Ap- 
pointments, indeed, become debts. I owe you punc- 
tuality, if I have made an appointment with you ; and 
have no right to throw away your time, if I do my own. 

Early education prevents more crimes than the 
severity of the criminal code. 



David Hume observed, that all the devout persons 
he had ever met with were melancholy. On this, 
Bishop Home remarked, this might probably be ; for, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 



in -the first place, it is most likely he saw very few, his 
friends and acquaintance being of another sort ; and 
secondly, the sight of him would make a devout man 
melancholy at any time. 



Fenelon to a Friend. — " I request you, more than 
ever, not to spare me in telling me my faults; though 
you should think you discover a fault in me, which 
perhaps I have not, the harm will not be great. If 
your intimation and advice offend me, I shall thereby 
see that you have reached the quick ; and thus you 
will still do me a great benefit, by inuring me to re- 
proof and to a Christian lowliness of spirit. The 
higher I am raised by my character, the more I ought 
to be humbled. And I hope, that far from weakening 
our union, it will be a means to strengthen it." 



Let the world see, by your heavenly lives, that reli- 
gion is something more than opinions, or a task of 
outward duties. 



Should persecution rage and flame, 
Still trust in thy Redeemer's name ; 
In fiery trials thou shalt see. 
That as thy day thy strength shall be. 



We should endeavour to bear up under the infirmi- 
ties of our earthly tabernacle, and pray for patience 
to endure all that may be laid upon us. The afflic- 
tions dispensed by a wise and tender father are often 
preludes to a blessing. 

Have you no words ? Ah ! think again ! 
Words flow apace when you complain, 



100 GLEANINaS FEOM 

And fill your fellow-creature's ear 
With the sad tale of all your care. 

Were half the breath thus vainly spent, 
To heav'n in supplication sent, 
Your cheerful song would oft'ner be, 
"Hear what the Lord hath done for me I" 



Time passeth on, yet a few days and we shall be 
here no more. 



The more confession of Christ, the more persecution 
for Christ, the more suffering for Christ's sake, the 
more enjoyment of Christ's love. 



Behold, I stand at the door, and knock : if any man 
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he with me. — Rev. iii. 20. 



Behold a stranger at the door ! 
He gently knocks, has knock'd before, 
Has waited long, is waiting still ; 
You use no other friend so ill. 



When we fancy others better off than ourselves, it 
may only be because we know our own circumstances, 
but do not know theirs. 



There is a science reason cannot teach ; 

It lies beyond the depths her line can reach ; 

It is but taught by heaven's imparted grace, 

The feet of Jesus is the only place : 

And they who mental riches largely share, 

But seldom stoop to seek their wisdom there. 



A dying saint being asked, why he so wept ? an- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 101 

swered, " I weep not that my sins may be pardoned, 
but because I hope they are pardoned." 

Thy tears all issue from a source divine, 
And ev'ry drop bespeaks a Saviour thine. 

When we grow wanton, or worldly, or proud, how 
doth sickness or other affliction reduce us ! We may 
say with David, " Before I was afflicted I went astray ;" 
and many thousand recovered sinners may cry, "0 
healthful sickness ! gainful losses ! blessed day 
that ever I was afflicted !" Not only the green pas- 
tures and still waters, but the rod and staff, they com- 
fort us. Suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, 
that the word hath easier entrance. 



With me, if of old thou hast strove, 
And strangely withheld me from sin, 
And tried, by the lure of thy love. 
My worthless affections to win ; 
The work of thy mercy revive, 
Thy uttermost mercy exert. 
And kindly continue to strive. 
And hold, till I yield thee my heart. 



Affliction sanctified is better than health. 



Afflictions, though they seem severe. 

In mercy oft are sent ; 
They stopp'd the prodigal's career. 

And forc'd him to repent. 



! lost to virtue, lost to manly thought, 
Lost to the noble sallies of the soul! 
Who think it solitude to be alone ! 



102 GLEANINGS FROM 

The calm retreat, the silent shade, 
With prayer and praise agree ; 

And seem, by thy sweet bounty made, 
For those who follow thee. 



It is in small things that brotherly kindness and 
charity chiefly consist. Little attentions ; trifling, but 
perpetual acts of self-denial ; a minute consultation of 
the wants and wishes, taste and tempers, of others ; 
an imperceptible delicacy in avoiding what will give 
pain ; — these are the small things that diffuse peace 
and love wherever they are exercised, and which out- 
weigh a thousand acts of artificial civility. 



The kindest and the happiest pair 
"Will find occasion to forbear ; 
And something, ev'ry day they live, 
To pity, and perhaps, forgive. 



There is both a simplicity and a majesty in the es- 
sential truths of the " glorious Gospel of the blessed 
God," from which human pride shrinks with disdain 
and aversion. 



0, how unlike the complex works of man. 
Heaven's easy, artless, disencumber'd plan ! 
No meretricious graces to beguile ; 
No clustering ornament to clog the pile: 
From ostentation, as from weakness, free, 
It stands, like the cerulean arch we see, 
Majestic in its own simplicity. 
Inscrib'd above the portal, from afar 
Conspicuous, as the brightness of a star, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 103 

Legible only by the light they give, 

Stand the soul-quick'ning words — believe and live ! 

" The communion of saints" with each other is not 
a matter of barren credence. It is a sacred reality, 
less frequently known, indeed, than acknowledged, but 
the perennial source of pleasures the most refined and 
exalted, and inferior only to those which flow from 
" the communion of saints" with their Father and Re- 
deemer. None of the ''yesterdays" of life look back- 
ward with a smile so sweet and satisfactory as those 
which were marked with the true bliss of " hearts in 
union, mutually disclosed," on all that gives a charac- 
ter of interest to the present and future scene. 



! days of heaven, and nights of equal praise ! 
Serene and peaceful as those heav'nly days, 
When souls, drawn upward, in communion sweet, 
Enjoy the stillness of some close retreat ; 
Discourse, as if releas'd and safe at home. 
Of dangers past, and wonders yet to come ; 
And spread the sacred treasures of the breast 
Upon the lap of covenanted rest. 



Jane, Queen of Navarre, blamed her ladies and 
women, when she observed them weeping about her 
bed, and said: "Weep not for me, I pray you ; for 
God, by this sickness, calls me hence, to enjoy a better 
life : and now I shall enter into the desired haven, 
towards which this frail vessel of mine has been a long 
time steering." 



In passing judgment upon the characters of men, 
we ought to try them by the maxims of their own age, 



104 GLEANINGS FROM 

not by those of another. For, although virtue and 
vice are at all times the same, manners and customs 
vary continually. 



All the principles which religion teaches, and all 
the habits which it forms, are favourable to strength 
of mind. It will be found, that whatever purifies, 
fortifies also the heart. 



By faith in Christ I walk with God, 
With heaven, my journey's end, in view ; 
Supported by his stajBF and rod. 
My road is safe and pleasant too. 
I travel through a desert wide, 
Where many round me blindly stray; 
But he vouchsafes to be my guide, 
And will not let me miss my way. 



Dr. Isaac Watts, when broken down by age and 
infirmity, quoted the sentiment of an aged minister, 
" that the most learned and knowing Christians, when 
they come to die, have only the same plain promises 
of the Gospel for their support as the common and 
unlearned :" " and so," said he, '^ I find it. It is the 
plain promises of the gospel that are my support ; and 
I bless God they are plain promises, that do not re- 
quire much labour and pains to understand them." 



0, 'tis good 
To wait submissive at thy throne : 
To leave petitions at thy feet, and bear 
Thy frowns and silence with a patient soul. 
The hand of mercy is not short to save, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 105 

Nor is the ear of heavenly pity deaf 
To mortal cries. 



Burke, the celebrated orator, said of John Howard.' 
" I cannot name this gentleman without remarking, 
that his labours and writings have done much to open 
the eyes and hearts of mankind. He has visited all 
Europe — not to survey the sumptuousness of palaces, 
or the stateliness of temples ; not to make accurate 
measurements of the remains of ancient grandeur, nor 
to form a scale of the curiosity of modern art ; not to 
collect medals, or collate manuscripts — but to dive into 
the depths of dungeons ; to plunge into the infection of 
hospitals ; to survey the mansions of sorrow and pain ; 
to take the gauge and dimensions of misery, depression, 
and contempt ; to remember the forgotten ; to attend 
to the neglected ; to visit the forsaken ; and compare 
and collate the distresses of all men in all countries." 



Howard, thy task is done ! thy Master calls, 
And summons thee from Cherson's distant walls : 
" Come, well-approved ! my faithful servant come ! 
No more a wand'rer, seek thy destin'd home. 

^ -^ ^ ^ :^ 

I've led thee, ardent, on through wond'ring climes, 

To combat human woes and human crimes. 

But, 'tis enough ! thy great commission's o'er ; 

I prove thy faith, thy love, thy zeal, no more. 

Nor droop, that far from country, kindred, friends, 

Thy life, to duty long devoted, ends; 

What boots it where the high reward is giv'n. 

Or whence the soul, triumphant, springs to heav'n." 



Upon Queen Mary being advised of her dangerous 



106 GLEANINGS FROM 

illness, she calmly said: '' I have been instructed how 
very hazardous a thing it is, to rely upon a death-bed 
repentance : I am not now to begin the great work of 
preparing for death : and, I praise God, I am not 
afraid of it." When nearer the close, she declared, 
that "she experienced the joys of a good conscience, 
and the power of religion, giving her supports, which 
even the last agonies could not shake." " Thus," says 
her biographer, " died this most excellent princess ; 
and, no doubt, passed from an earthly to a heavenly 
crown, 'a crown of glory that shall never fade away.' " 



He walks with God, who lives a life of faith. 
And builds his hope on what the promise saith; 
Who, letting go this world, the next secures, 
And still, as seeing things unseen, endures. 



We have all particular reason to watch and pray, 
lest self too much predominate. We should accustom 
ourselves to hold our own comforts and conveniences 
subordinate to the comforts and conveniences of others, 
in all things. A habit thus begun, in little matters, 
might probably be extended, without difficulty, to those 
of a higher nature. 



Invet'rate habits choke th' unfruitful heart; 
Their fibres penetrate its tend'rest part, 
And, draining its nutritious pow'rs to feed 
Their noxious growth, starve every better seed. 



A wise man will desire no more than what he may 
get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave 
contentedly. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 107 

We often lose the benefit of the blessings in our 
possession, by hunting after those which are out of 
our reach. 



Pride hides a man's faults from himself, and mag- 
nifies them to others. 



We should be careful how we create enemies ; it 
being one of the hardest things in the Christian re- 
ligion to behave ourselves as we ought towards them. 



Why should we difi'er by the way ? 

Why should dissensions come ? 
We hope to spend an endless day 

In one eternal home. 



To him who is animated with a desire of obtaining 
approbation from the Sovereign of the universe, no 
difficulty should seem insurmountable. 



Be very careful in your promises, and just in your 
performances ; and remember, it is better to do and 
not promise, than promise and not perform. 



Keligion's force divine is best display'd 

In deep desertion of all human aid. 

To succour in extremes is her delight, 

And cheer the heart when terror strikes the sight. 



"I am not proof," said the venerable John Newton, 
at nearly eighty years of age, " I am not proof against 
the flattery of a child." 



A story, in which native humour reigns, 
Is often useful, always entertains : 



108 GLEANINGS FROM 

A graver fact, enlisted on your side, 
May furnish illustration, well applied : 
But sedentary weavers of long tales 
Give me the fidgets, and my patience fails. 
A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct ; 
The language plain, and incidents well link'd. 
Tell not as new what ev'ry body knows ; 
And, new or old, still hasten to a close ; 
There, cent'ring in a focus, round and neat, 
Let all your rays of information meet. 



In writing, or in speaking, avoid the needless use of 
the pronouns Zand Me ; which, out of their place, are 
grating to the nice ear, and may be subject to {at least) 
unkind interpretation. 



Those busy, subtle pronouns, /and Me^ 
Unsought and unexpected they appear : 
No barriers heed they, and no laws revere ; 
But wind and penetrate, with dext'rous force, 
Through all the cracks and crannies of discourse. 



may the sheep discern thy voice, 
And in its sacred sound rejoice ! 
Prom strangers may they ever flee, 
And know no other guide but thee ! 



How are thy servants blest, Lord! 

How sure is their defence ! 
Eternal Wisdom is their guide, 

Their help. Omnipotence. 



The needle's point in the seaman's compass never 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 109 

stands still, but quivers and shakes till it comes right 
against the north pole. 

As needles point towards the pole, 
When touch'd by the magnetic stone, 
So faith in Jesus gives the soul 
A tendency before unknown. 



Suppose we be of different denominations, yet hold- 
ing the same head, why cannot we love as brethren? 
(The best and most enlightened of all "see but in part, 
through a glass, darkly.") 

Unless a vessel move at a certain rate, she will not 
obey her rudder ; so, unless the Christian keep pace 
with the monitions of the Spirit, he loses the benefit 
of its sensible guidance in directing his steps. 



" 0, my friend," said the well known John Fletcher, 
" what is the world ? — A flying shadow. As we fly 
through it, let us lose ourselves in the eternal sub- 
stance." 



All, all on earth is shadow ; all beyond 
Is substance. 



Women, in their course of action, describe a smaller 
circle than men ; but the perfection of a circle consists 
not in its dimensions, but in its correctness. 



Economy is no disgrace ; it is better to live on, on 
little, than to outlive a great deal. 



The wise frugality that does not give 
A life to saving — but that saves to live; 
10 



110 GLEANINGS FROM 

Sparing, not pinching — mindful, though not mean, 
O'er all presiding, but in nothing seen. 

When we observe any tendency to treat religion or 
morals with disrespect and levity, let us hold it to be 
a sure indication of a perverted understanding, or a 
depraved heart. 



The hourly rubs and vexations which pride under- 
goes, are far more than an equivalent for the short 
intoxications of pleasure which it snatches. 



The great, the only effectual antidote to self-love, is 
to get the love of God and oui' neighbour firmly rooted 
in the heart. 



Even a judicious silence under great provocation is, 
in a warm temper, real forbearance. And though "to 
keep silence from good words" may be pain and grief, 
yet the pain and grief must be borne, and the silence 
must be observed. 



Disgust conceal'd 

Is ofttimes proof of wisdom, when the fault 
Is obstinate, and cure beyond our reach. 



If a forbearing temper should be maintained towards 
the irreligious, how much more by the professors of 
religion towards each other. 



Absence of occupation is not rest ; 

A mind quite vacant is a mind distress'd. 



An idler is a watch that wants both hands, 
As useless if it goes, as when it stands. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. Ill 

Carefully to examine whether he please others for 
their good to edification, or in order to gain praise and 
popularity, is the bounden duty of a Christian. 

Virtue with peculiar charms appears, 



Crown'd with the garland of life's blooming years; 
Yet age, by long experience, well inform'd 
Well read, well temper'd, with religion warm'd, 
That fire abated which impels rash youth. 
Proud of his speed, to overshoot the truth, 
As time improves the grape's authentic juice, 
Mellows and makes the speech more fit for use. 
And claims a rev'rence in its shortening day, 
That 'tis an honour and a joy to pay. 

" But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she 
liveth."— 1 Tim. v. 6. 



Let her inquire, since far is spent the night, 
If she be meeten'd for that world of light. 
Where are her fondest, best affections plac'd ? 
Death may improve, but not reverse the taste. 
Does she, indeed, the things of time prefer ? 
Then surely heaven could not be heaven to her. 



It is not right to judge of another by thine own 
pattern. Art thou a warm and active Christian ? Con- 
demn not him whose endowments may be more placid 
and contemplative than thine. He who now creeps as 
a snail, in humble silence, may, by one lift of divine 
power, be raised higher than thou art. 



"Many that are first shall be last; and the last 
first."— Mark x. 31. 



112 GLEANINGS FROM 

A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, 

On thy kind arms I fall ; 
Be thou my strength and righteousness, 

My Jesus and my all. 



If those cannot expect to be crowned who strive, but 
not lawfully, what must become of those who do not 
strive at all ? 



The modest deportment of a truly wise man, when 
contrasted with the assuming air of the, young and 
ignorant, may be compared to the different appearance 
of wheat, which, while its ear is empty, holds up its 
head proudly, but as soon as it is filled with grain, 
bends modestly down and withdraws from observation. 



Young heads are giddy, and young hearts are warm, 

And make mistakes for manhood to reform. 

Boys are, at best, but pretty buds unblown, 

"Whose scents and hues are rather guess'd than known; 

Each dreams that he is just what he appears. 

But learns his error in maturer years, 

When disposition, like a sail unfurl'd, 

Shows all its rents and patches to the world. 



Who does not delight in the society of an amiable, 
well-informed youth, intent upon the improvement of 
Ms mind, and the application of his rising powers to 
the purposes of advancement in the school of wisdom ? 



The path to bliss abounds with many a snare, 
Learning is one, and wit, however rare. 

" A little while," said the excellent H. Housman, 
the evening before her death, " and then I shall be 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 113 

singing that sweet song — ' Blessing, and honour, and 
glory, and power be unto Mm who sitteth upon the 
throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever.' " 



In vain my fancy strives to paint 

The moment after death, 
The glories that surround the saints 

When yielding up their breath. . 

One gentle sigh their fetters breaks ; 

We scarce can say they're gone, 
Before the willing spirit takes 

Her mansion near the throne. 



Worldly prosperity ! — how tempting ! it is gilded 
over with the plaudits of all ; and many, very many, 
who have borne persecutions without offence, deep dis- 
tress of mind without despondency, and trials of great 
outward stripping without murmuring, have bowed to 
and been ensnared by its captivaring influence. 



Lord, direct me in the use 
Of things that lawful are ; 

For lawful things may have abuse, 
And prove a fatal snare. 



Many that are well affected to religion, and receive 
instructions of piety with pleasure and satisfaction, 
often wonder how it comes to pass that they make no 
greater progress in that religion which they so much 
admire. Now, the reason of it is, because religion 
lives only in their head, while something else has pos- 
session of their heart; and therefore they continue, 
from year to year, mere admirers and praisers of piety, 
10* 



114 GLEANINGS FROM 

without ever coming up to the reality and perfection 
of its precepts. 

The dearest idol I have known, 

Whate'er that idol be, 
Help me to tear it from its throne, 

And worship only thee. 



The turn of a man's general discourse will clearly 
discover the bent of his mind ; for " out of the abund- 
ance of the heart the mouth speaketh." 



The higher the character a person supports, the 
more he should regard his minutest actions. 



'Tis in the silence of the mind, 

The God of heaven, on earth, we find. 



Grotius, a little before his Death. — "I would 
give all my learning and honour could I change situa- 
tion with Jean Urick," an illiterate neighbour, who 
spent much of his time in prayer, and in the study of 
the Scriptures. 



Self-knowledge, of all knowledge, is the best : 
By most pretended, but by few possess'd. 

It is to be feared that many, if their faults were 
shaken out of them, would be reduced to mere skele- 
tons ; the smooth road of prosperity may exhibit but 
little of man's deformity ; the trial is, when he comes 
to the point where integrity and self-interest appear to 
be at variance. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 115 

Deal with another as you'd have 

Another deal with you : 
What you're unwilling to receive. 

Be sure you never do. 



How delightful the thought, that when the Chris- 
tian's pilgrimage is at an end, he shall join the in- 
numerable company who have already reached the 
heavenly mansions, all uneasiness, at dispensations not 
understood, giving way to the anthem, ''Just and true 
are all thy ways, thou King of saints !" 



This is the bliss to which the saint aspires ; 
This is that "better country" he desires ; 
And, ah ! while scoffers laugh, and sceptics doubt, 
The poor, wayfaring man shall find it out. 



He that maketh not God his chief good and ultimate 
end, is in heart an idolater. 



Whatever passes as a cloud between 
The mental eye of faith and things unseen, 
Causing that better world to disappear, 
Or seem unlovely, and the present dear. 
That is our world, our idol, though it bear 
Affection's impress, or devotion's air. 



Is converse with wise men the way to make one 
wise ? Much more is converse with God. 



0, that thou wouldst be often feeding on the hidden 
manna, and tasting the delights of heaven ! how would 
this confirm thy resolutions, and make thee despise 
the vanities of the world ! 



116 GLEANINGS FROM 

When nature fails, and day and night 
Divide thy works no more, 

My ever grateful heart, Lord! 
Thy mercy shall adore. 

Through all eternity, to thee 
A joyful song I'll raise ; 

But oh ! eternity's too short 
To utter all thy praise. 



How many opportunities of doing or receiving good 
do we suffer to pass away, not knowing their value till 
they are beyond our reach ! 



'Tis to the tender, feeling heart 

Life's best delights pertain ; 
Who find a balm for every smart, 
. A cure for every pain. 

Then may the sympathetic glow 
Of kindness fill thy breast ; 

Be thine to soften others' woe, 
And in their joy be blest. 



Over all the moments of life, religion scatters her 
favours, but reserves her best and choicest blessings 
for the last hour. 



If thy conscience blame thee, though ever so little, 
despise it not, nor neglect the secret check ; 'tis a mes- 
sage from heaven, sent to summon thee to thy duty. 



Though man a thinking being is defin'd, 
Tew use the grand prerogative of mind: 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 117 

How few think justly of the thinking few ! 
How many never think, who think they do ! 



To be good and disagreeable is high treason against 
virtue. 



Friends must be held "for better and for worse;" 
And that alone true friendship we should call, 
Which undertakes to love us, faults and all. 



The happiest effects are often produced by a con- 
templation of the actions and virtues of the wise and 
good : the light which illumined their minds, some- 
times emits a spark that kindles unexpected fires. 



Grace is a plant, where'er it grows, 
Of pure and heavenly root ; 

But fairest in the youngest shows. 
And yields the sweetest fruit. 



The learned Salmasius, arriving at the evening of 
life, found he had too much and too earnestly engaged 
in literary pursuits, to the overlooking of those objects 
in which true and solid happiness consists. " Oh," 
said he, " I have lost an immense portion of time ; 
time, that most precious thing in the world ! had I but 
one year more, it should be spent in studying David's 
Psalm's and Paul's Epistles. 



Let go thy dreams of present pleasure, and loose 
thy hold of earth and flesh ; study frequently, study 
thoroughly, this one word — eternity. 



118 GLEANINGS FROM 

To think, when heaven and earth are fled, 
And times and seasons o'er, 

When all that can die shall be dead. 
That I shall die no more ; 

Ah, Tyhere will then my spirit be ? 
How shall I spend eternity ? 



For the joy he sets before thee. 
Bear a momentary pain ; 

Die, to live the life of glory ; 
Suffer, with thy Lord to reign. 



Wise and good men are indeed precious gifts, with 
which heaven blesses the earth ; and their wisdom is 
seldom justly appreciated till after their decease. 



His hand the good man fastens on the skies, 
And bids earth roll, nor feels her idle whirl. 



Our blessed Saviour, speaking on worldly greatness, 
compares himself to one waiting and attending on a 
company at dinner: "Whether is greater, he that sit- 
teth at meat, or he that serveth ? Is not he that sit- 
teth at meat ? But I am amongst you as he that ser- 
veth." Thus, in a world greatly disordered, where men, 
aspiring to outward greatness, were wont to oppress 
others to support their designs. He who was of the 
highest descent, being the Son of God, and greater 
than any amongst the greatest families of men, by his 
example and doctrines, foreclosed his followers from 
claiming any show of outward greatness, from any 
supposed superiority in themselves, or derived from 
their ancestors. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 119 

My boast is not that I deduce my birth 
From loins enthron'd, and rulers of the earth ; 
But higher, far, my proud pretensions rise — 
The son of parents pass'd into the skies. 

Too much reading and too little meditation produces 
the effect of a lamp inverted, which is extinguished by 
an excess of the very element that is meant to feed it. 



Discretion in speech is more than eloquence. 



True wisdom consists not so much in the acquire- 
ment of knowledge, as in its right application to use- 
ful purposes. 



The Christian life is a warfare ; the conflict between 
sin and holiness is great. 



Trials must and will befall. 
But, with humble faith to see 

Love inscribed upon them all, 
This is happiness to me. 

It is a dangerous presumption to busy ourselves in 
improving others, before we have diligently sought our 
own improvement. 



A judicious observation, a generous sentiment, a 
simple truth, unaffectedly introduced in the course of 
conversation, may make an impression on those who 
are not in the habit of thinking: for themselves. 



Insensibility to eternal things, in beings who are 
standing on the brink of eternitv, is a madness which 



120 GLEANINGS FROM 

would be reckoned among prodigies, if it were not so 
common. 



Would the conqueror, or the orator, reflect, when 
the laurel crown is placed on his brow, how soon it 
will be followed by the cypress wreath, it would lower 
the delirium of ambition — it would cool the intoxica- 
tion of prosperity. 



Time, with an unwearied hand, 

Pushes round the seasons fast ; 
And, in life's frail glass, the sand 

Sinks apace, not long to last: — 
Many, as well as you or I, 

Who last year assembled thus. 
In their silent graves now lie — 

Graves will open soon for us. 



What an image of the Divine condescension does it 
convey, that " the goodness of God leadeth to repent- 
ance!" It does not barely invite, but it conducts. 
Every warning is, more or less, an invitation : every 
invitation is a lighter stroke to avert a heavier blow. 



Leave not the work which requires an age to do, to 
be done in a moment ; a moment, too, which may not 
be granted. 



All scenes alike engaging prove. 
To souls impress'd with sacred love : 
Where'er they dwell, they dwell in Thee, 
In heav'n, on earth, or on the sea. 

There is no happy deaths but that which conducts to 
a happy immortality ; — no joy in putting off the body, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 121 

if we have not put on the Lord Jesus Christ ; no conso- 
lation in escaping from the miseries of time, till we have 
obtained a well-grounded hope of a blessed eternity. 



To yield in trifles is the art of life, 
And truly conquer, by declining strife. 



Art thou offended ? then forgive ! 
As thou may'st hope to be forgiven; 
Love cherished, whilst on earth we live, 
Will bloom a perfect plant in heaven. 



A lady once asked a minister, whether a person 
might not attend to dress and the fashions without 
being proud ? "Madam," (he replied) " whenever you 
see the tail of the fox out of the hole, you may be 
sure the fox is there." 



Kindness is the key to the human heart. 



Matthew Henry, a little before his death, said to a 
friend, " You have been used to take notice of the 
sayings of dying men ; this is mine : — That a life 
spent in the service of God, and communion with him, 
is the most comfortable and pleasant life that any one 
can live in this world." 



'Tis religion that can give 
Sweetest pleasures while we live ; 
'Tis religion must supply 
Solid comfort when we die. 



Doctor Doddridge one day asked his little daughter, 

how it was that everybody loved her. " I know not,'* 

she said, "unless it be that I love everybody." 
11 



122 GLEANINGS FROM 

The following lines were written, by an estimable 
man, to two friends, at variance, whom he had vainly 
attempted to reconcile : his object was delightfully 
accomplished. 

How rare that toil a prosperous issue finds, 
Which seeks to reconcile divided minds ! 
A thousand scruples rise, at passion's touch — 
This yields too little, and that asks too much. 
Each wishes each with other eyes to see, 
And many efforts can't make two agree. 
What mediation, then, the Saviour show'd, 
Who singly reconciled us all to God ! 



He that hath his conversation in heaven is the pro- 
fitable Christian to all about him. When a worldly 
man will talk of nothing but the world, and a politi- 
cian of state affairs, and a mere scholar of human 
learning, and a common professor of his duties ; the 
heavenly man will be speaking of heaven. 0, how 
refreshing and useful are his expressions ! How his 
words pierce and melt the heart ! How doth his doc- 
trine drop as the rain^ and his speech distil as the dew, 
as the small rain upon the tender herh^ and as the 
showers upon the grass, while his lips publish the name 
of the Lord, and ascribe greatness unto his God I 



A few forsake the throng, with lifted eyes, 
Ask wealth of heaven, and gain a real prize — 
Truth, wisdom, grace, and peace, like that above, 
Seal'd with his signet whom they serve and love ; 
Scorned by the rest, with patient hope they wait 
A kind release from their imperfect state ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 123 

And, unregretted, are soon snatch'd away 
From scenes of sorrow, into glorious day. 



Religion prepares the mind for encountering, with 
fortitude, the most severe shocks of adversity ; whereas 
vice, by its natural influence on the temper, tends to 
produce dejection under the slightest trials. 



Wouldst thou diffuse over thy physiognomy a char- 
acter of dignity, let thy mind be stored with senti- 
ments of religion and virtue ; they will imprint on 
every feature the peace which reigns in thy soul, and 
the elevation of thy conceptions. 



Happy the man that hath a heavenly companion, 
who will watch over thy ways, strengthen thee when 
thou art weak, cheer thee when thou art drooping, and 
comfort thee with the comfort wherewith he himself 
hath been so often comforted of God ! This is he that 
will be blowing at the spark of thy heavenly life, and 
drawing thy soul to God. Come to this man's house, 
and sit at his table ; will he not feast thy soul with 
spiritual food ? travel with him by the way, and will 
he not quicken thee in thy journey to heaven ? If 
thou wrong him, he can pardon thee, remembering 
that Christ hath pardoned his great offences ; if thou 
be angry, he is meek, considering the meekness of his 
heavenly pattern ; or, if he fall out with thee, he is 
soon reconciled, when he recollects that in heaven you 
must be everlasting friends. This is the Christian of 
the right stamp, and all about him are better for him. 



To Jesus,* the crown of my hope. 
My soul is in haste to be gone : 



124 GLEANINGS FROM 

! bear me, ye cherubim, up, 
And waft me away to his throne ! 
* ;^ ^ * * 

Dissolve, then, these bonds, that detain 
My soul from its portion in thee. 
And strike off this adamant chain, 
And set me eternally free. 



"I have heard one say," observes Dr. Mather, 
''that there was a gentleman mentioned in the 19th 
chapter of the Acts, to whom he was more indebted 
than to any other man in the world. This was he 
whom our translation calls the town-clerk of Ephesus, 
whose counsel it was to ^do nothing raMy,' Upon 
any proposal of consequence, it was usual with him to 
say, 'We will first advise with the town-clerk of 
Ephesus. 



J }> 



All godly people are praying people : you may as 
soon find a living man without breath, as a living 
Christian without prayer. 



Prayer is the vital breath of faith, 

Which makes the soul to heaven arise; 

ISTeglecting this the man may live, 

But oh ! how soon the Christian dies ! 



A woman, regular in her attendance of public wor- 
ship, and who took care to be always in time, was 
asked, how it was she could always come so early ; 
she answered, very wisely, " that it was part of her 
religion not to disturb the religion of others." 



God be merciful to me a sinner." Luke, xviii. 13. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 125 

Archbishop Usher used often to say, that he hoped 
to die with the above language in his mouth ; and his 
wish was in a great measure fulfilled, for he expired 
saying, " Lord, forgive me, especially my sins of 
omission." 



(The Christian.) 

One beating pulse — one feeble struggle o'er 

May open wide the everlasting door. 
Yes, for that bliss unspeakable, unseen, 
Is ready — and the veil of flesh between 
A gentle sigh may rend — and then display 
The broad, full splendour of an endless day. 
This bright conviction elevates his mind ; 
He presses forward, leaving all behind. 
Thus from his throne the tyrant foe is hurl'd 
This is the faith that overcomes the world. 



The words of a door-keeper at a play-house, " This 
is the way to the pit," were so impressive to a youth 
who heard him, as not only to be the means of his 
withdrawing from such unprofitable places, but to lead 
ultimately to his becoming a preacher of the Gospel. 



When any turn from Zion's way, — 
(Alas ! what numbers do !) 

Methinks I hear the Saviour say, 
" Wilt thou forsake me too ?" 



Man, when he perceives the near approach of death, 
finds it reasonable to betake himself to hearty prayer, 
for the mercy and favour of God. And can any one 
be so infatuated, as to think it fit to pass his whole life 
in neglect of that Almighty Being to whom, at last, 
11* 



126 GLEANINGS FROM 

he will be obliged to resort, as to his only refuge and 
support ? 



Teach us to count our short'ning days, 
And, with true diligence, apply 

Our hearts to wisdom's sacred ways, 
That we may learn to live and die. 



Whosoever thinks himself wise enough, or virtuous 
enough, is in a fair way never to be either. 



Blessed be the most bountiful God, who has annexed 
an unspeakable pleasure to faith and virtue ! who has, 
in his infinite goodness, made those things that are of 
the highest advantage to mankind, so exceedingly de- 
lightful. 



To learn in God's own school the Christian part, 
And bind the task assign'd thee to thine heart : 
Happy the man, there seeking and there found; 
Happy the nation where such men abound. 



There are who live in this world, as though it was 
never to have an end ; and for the next, as though it 
was never to have a beginning. 



There are two extraordinary virtues to be learned 
from human imperfection. The imperfection of others 
may teach us patience ; and our own may teach us 
humility. 



But they whom truth and wisdom lead, 
Can gather honey from a weed. 



We are to do things because they are right, not be- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 127 

cause they are commended ; always considering that 
they are not right because they are commended ; but 
they are commendable because they are right. 

God is pleased sometimes to make choice of those 
as his messengers, who have least of the advantages of 
art or nature, that his grace in them may appear the 
more glorious. 



Cast," he said, " on me thy care, 
'Tis enough that I am nigh ; 
I will all thy burdens bear ; 
I will all thy wants supply. 

Simply follow as I lead ; 
Do not reason, but believe ; 
Call on me in time of need, 
Thou shalt surely help receive." 



"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbe- 
lievers." Thousands have been undone by irreligious, 
ungodly marriages ; for there is more ground of fear, 
in mixed marriages, that the good will be perverted, 
than of hope that the bad will be converted. 



The commandments of God are so reasonable, equi- 
table, and salutary, that if we were not blinded by 
Satan, a wise regard to our own interest would induce 
us to obedience. 



The just Creator condescends to write, 

In beams of inextinguishable light. 

His names of wisdom, goodness, pow'r, and love, 

On all that blooms below, or shines above 



128 GLEANINGS FROM 

To catch tlie wand' ring notice of mankind, 
And teach the world, if not perversely blind, 
His gracious attributes, and prove the share 
His offspring hold in his paternal care. 



As it is the habitual frame and predominating dis- 
position, which are the true measure of virtue, inci- 
dental good actions are no certain criterion of the 
state of the heart ; for who is there who does not oc- 
casionally do them ? 



New converts, it is said, are most zealous ; but they 
are not always the most persevering. If their tempers 
are warm, and they have only been touched on the side 
of their passions, they start eagerly, march rapidly, 
and are full of confidence in their own strength. They 
too often judge others with little charity, and them- 
selves with little humility As they know their 

own heart more, they discover its deceitfulness, and 
learn to distrust themselves. As they become more 
humble in spirit, they become more charitable in judg- 
ing. As they grow more firm in principle, they grow 
more exact in conduct. 



The soul, whose sight all-quick'ning grace renews, 
Takes the resemblance of the good she views ; 
As diamonds, stripp'd of their opaque disguise, 
Reflect the noon-day glory of the skies. 



The deviser of liberal things will find means of 
effecting them, which to the indolent appear incredible 
— to the covetous, impossible. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 129 

Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of 
hatred, the waste of spirits. 

When we are alone, we have our thoughts to watch ; 
in the family, our tempers ; in company, our tongues. 



A generous emulation of the excellencies of another 
is not envy. 



Nothing but love to God can conquer the love of 
the world. 



" This is the victory that overcometh the world, 
even our faith." — 1 John v. 4. 



" One must make some sacrifices to the world," is 
the prevailing language of the nominal Christian. 
" What will the world pay you for your sacrifices ?" 
replies the real Christian. 



True bliss, if man may reach it, is compos'd 
Of hearts in union mutually disclos'd ; 
And, farewell else all hope of pure delight, 
Those hearts should be reclaim'd, renew'd, upright. 

But souls that carry on a bless'd exchange 
Of joys they meet with in their heavenly range. 
And, with a fearless confidence, make known 
The sorrows sympathy esteems its own. 
Daily derive increasing light and force 
From such communion in their pleasant course. 
Feel less the journey's roughness and its length, 
Meet their opposers with united strength. 
And, one in heart, in int'rest, and design, 
Gird up each other to the race divine. 



130 GLEANINGS FROM 

Charles the Fifth, emperor of Germany, left behind 
him this comprehensive testimony : " I have tasted 
more satisfaction in my solitude in one day, than in all 
the triumphs of my former reign. The sincere study, 
profession, and practice of the Christian religion, have 
in them such joys and sweetness as are seldom found 
in courts and grandeur." 



For genuine happiness we need not roam ; 
'Tis doubtless found with little, and at home. 



God is the fountain from which all the streams of 
goodness flow — the centre from which all the rays of 
blessedness diverge. All our actions are only good, 
as they have a reference to him: the streams must 
revert back to their fountain, the rays must converge 
a sain to their centre. 



The following, among many other aiiecting expres- 
sions, are contained in a letter from a dying nobleman 
to his most intimate companion : — 

" Oh ! my friend, with what horror do I recall those 
hours of vanity we have wasted together ! Return, ye 
long neglected moments ! How should I prize you 
above the eastern treasures ! Let me dwell with her- 
mits ; let me rest on the cold earth ; let me converse 
in cottages ; may I but once more stand a candidate 
for an immortal crown, and have my probation for 
celestial happiness. Ye vain grandeurs of a court ! ye 
sounding titles, and perishing riches ! what do ye now 
signify ? what consolation, what relief can ye give me? 
I have a splendid passage to the grave ; I die in state, 
and languish under a gilded canopy; I am expiring 
on soft and downy pillows, and am respectably at- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 131 

tended by my servants and physicians ; my depend- 
ents sigh, my sisters weep, my father bends beneath a 
load of years and grief! my lovely wife, pale and 

silent, conceals her inward anguish. But, oh ! 

which of these will answer my summons at the high 
tribunal ? which of them will bail me from the arrest 
of death ? Who will descend into the dark prison of 
the grave for me ? Here they all leave me, after 
having paid a few idle ceremonies to the breathless 
clay, which perhaps may lie reposed in state, while my 
soul, my only conscious part, may stand trembling 
before my Judge. 

*'My afflicted friends, it is very probable, with great 
solemnity, will lay the senseless corpse in a stately 
monument, inscribed with 

^ Here lies the great ' 

but could the pale carcass speak, it would soon reply, 

'False marble, where? 

Nothing but poor and sordid dust lies here !' " 



Earth's highest station ends in — "here he lies:" 
And " dust to dust" concludes her noblest song. 

Insidious death ; should his strong hand arrest. 
No composition sets the prisoner free. 



Believers may be in great distress ; but though 
much perplexed, and often discouraged, they are se- 
cretly held up by faith, and brought off conquerors. 



We soon shall join the throng, 
Their pleasures we shall share ; 

And sing the everlasting song. 
With all the ransom'd there. 



132 GLEANINGS FROM 

How sweet the prospect is ! 

It cheers the pilgrim's breast ; 
We're journeying through the wilderness, 

But soon shall gain our rest. 



It is a notorious contradiction to imagine, that any 
one can be assured of God Almighty's pardon, with- 
out obeying him ; of his favour, without loving hira ; 
or of the eternal enjoyment of him, without a firm 
and steadfast belief in him. 



Easy, indeed, it were to reach 

A mansion in the courts. above, 

If swelling words and fluent speech. 

Might serve instead of faith and love. 



If we would indeed love God, let us " acquaint our- 
selves with him." The word of inspiration has assured 
us, that there is no other way " to be at peace." 



Humility does not consist in telling our faults, but 
in bearing to be told of them ; in hearing them pa- 
tiently, and even thankfully ; in correcting ourselves 
when told ; in not hating those who tell us of them. 



How frail, at best, is dying man ! 
How vain are all his hopes and fears ! 
Vain his ambition, noise, and show ! 
Vain are the cares that rack his mind ! 
He heaps up treasures mix'd with woe. 
And dies, and leaves them all behind. 



Be daily thinking, while the gay and the great 
things of life are glittering before your eyes, how soon 
death will come, and impoverish you at once : how soon 



PIOUS AUTHOES. 133 

it will strip you of all possessions, but those which the 
soul can carry along with it into eternity, when it 
drops the body in the grave. Eternity ! Eternity ! 
Eternity ! carry the view of it about with you, if it be 
possible, through every waking hour of life ; and be 
fully persuaded, that you have no business, no interest 
in life that is inconsistent with it : for whatsoever 
would be injurious to this view is not your business, is 
not your interest. 



Amusement reigns 

Man's great demand ; to trifle is to live 
And is it then a trifle, too, to die ? 



An eminent physician said, in a letter to a friend, 
" I endeavour to follow my business, because it is my 
duty rather than my interest; the latter is inseparable 
from a just discharge of duty ; but I have ever looked 
at the profits in the last place. At my first setting 
out, I wished most fervently, and I endeavour after it 
still, to do my business with all the diligence I could, 
as a present duty, and to repress every rising idea of 
its consequence, knowing that there was a hand which 
could easily overthrow every pursuit of this kind, and 
baffle every attempt, either to acquire wealth or fame." 



popular applause ! what heart of man 

Is proof against thy sweet, seducing charms? 

The wisest and the best feel urgent need 

Of all their caution in thy gentlest gales ; 

But swell'd into a gust — who then, alas ! 

With all their canvass set, and inexpert, 

And therefore heedless, can withstand thy pow'r? 

12 



134 GLEANINGS FROM 

What pearl is it that rich men cannot buy, 
That learning is too proud to gather up ; 
But which the poor, and the despis'd of all. 
Seek and obtain, and often find unsought ? 
Tell me — and I will tell thee what is truth. 



A Christian lives at the height of his being; not 
only at the top of his spiritual, but of his intellectual 
life. He alone lives in the full exercise of his rational 
powers. Religion ennobles his reason while it enlarges 
it. Let, then, your soul act up to its high destination ; 
let not that which was made to soar to heaven, grovel 
in the dust. Let it not live so much below itself. 



That field of promise, how it flings abroad 
The odour o'er the Christian's thorny road! 
The soul, reposing on assur'd relief. 
Feels herself happy amidst all her grief. 
Forgets her labour, as she toils along, 
Weeps tears of joy, and bursts into a song. 



Lady Rachel Russell declared, after a long life of 
sorrow and affliction : ^' God has not denied me the 
support of his Holy Spirit, in this my long day of ca- 
lamity ; but enabled me, in some measure, to rejoice in 
him, as my portion for ever. He has provided a 
remedy for all our griefs, by his sure promises of an- 
other life, where there is no death, nor any pain nor 
trouble, but fulness of joy, in the presence of Him who 
made us, and who will love us for ever." 



joy ! to reach that heavenly place, 
From darkness, as from sorrow, far, 

Where, through the boundless fields of space, 
For ever shines the morning star. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 135 

The love of God in Christ Jesus is the only source 
from whence a Christian can hope to derive spiritual 
happiness and peace. Now this love will not reside in 
the bosom already pre-occupied with the love of the 
world, or any other predominating affection. 

One master passion labouring in the breast, 
Like Aaron's serpent, sv/allows up the rest. 

No voice but thine can give me rest, 

And bid my fears depart; 
No love but thine can make me blest, 

And satisfy my heart. 



He who has said, " Give me th^^ heart," will not be 
satisfied with less ; he will not accept the praying lips, 
nor the mere hand of charity, as substitutes. 

We cannot be said to be real Christians, till religion 
become our animating motive, our predominating prin- 
ciple and pursuit, as much as worldly things are the 
predominating motive, principle and pursuit of worldly 
men. 



Long is religion view'd, by many an eye, 
As wanted more for safety by and by ; 
A thing for times of danger and distress. 
Than needful for our present happiness. 



In the midst of youth, health, and abundance, the 
world is apt to appear a very gay and pleasing scene ; 
it engages our desires; and, in a degree, satisfies them 
also. But it is wisdom to consider, that a time will 
come when youth, health, and fortune, will all fail us ; 
and if disappointment and vexation do not sour our 



136 GLEANI1\GS FROM 

taste for pleasure, at least sickness and infirmities "will 
destroy it. In these gloomy seasons, and, above all, 
at the approach of death, what will become of us with- 
out religion ? When this w^orld fails, where shall we 
fij, if we expect no refuge in another? 

Happy they who in the depths of bodily suffering, 
can tranquilly confide in their all-sufiicient helper ; 
who in their deepest extremity can pour forth songs 
of praise and thanksgiving ! 

When languor and disease invade 

This trembling house of clay, 
'Tis sweet to look beyond our cage, 

And long to fly away. 



"If it be asked," said David Some, when on his 
death-bed, "how David Some died; let it be answered, 
that he sought, and he found mercy." 



"True religion," said Bishop Burnet, under dying 
circumstances, " is a perfection of human nature, and 
the joy and delight of every one that feels it active 
and strong in him. — Of this I write with more concern 
and emotion, because I have felt this the true, and 
indeed the only joy which runs through a man's heart 
and life. It is that which has been, for many years, 
my greatest support. I rejoice daily in it. I feel 
from it the earnest of that supreme joy which I pant 
and long for. I am sure there is nothing else can 
afford any true or complete happiness. I have, con- 
sidering my sphere, seen a great deal of all that is 
most shining and tempting in the world. The plea- 
sures of sense I did soon nauseate. Intrigues of state, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 137 

and the conduct of affairs have something in them that 
is more specious ; and I was for some years immersed 
in these ; but still, with hopes of reforming the world, 
and of making mankind wiser and better : but I have 
found that which is croo'ked .cannot he made straight, 
— I acquainted myself with knowledge and learning, 
and that in great variety ; this yielded not happiness. 
— I cultivated friendship; but this, also, I have found, 
was vanity and vexation of spirit, though it be of the 
best and noblest sort. — The sum is vanity of vanities; 
all is vanity, besides fearing God and keeping his com- 
mandments." 



In his blest life. 



I see the path ; and in his death, the price : 
And in his great ascent, the proof supreme 
Of immortality." 



What a privilege it is, to possess God in all things ; 
while we have them, and all things in Grod, when they 
are taken from us. 



Making thus the Lord my choice, 
I have nothing more to choose. 
But to listen to thy voice. 
And my will in thine to lose : 
Thus, whatever may betide, 
I shall safe and happy be ; 
Still content and satisfied 
Having all in having thee. 



Are we fit for the crown, before we have overcome ? 
or, for the prize, before we have run the race ? or to 
receive our penny, before we have worked in the vino- 
12* 



138 GLEANINGS FROM 

yard ? or to be rulers of ten cities, before we have im- 
proved our ten talents ? or to enter into the joy of our 
Lord, before we have well done, as good and faithful 
servants ? 



When the heart is fixed on heavenly things, and the 
affections weaned from earthly gratifications, the soul 
experiences a tranquillity and composure which this 
world can ''neither give nor take away;" a cheerful 
and heavenly serenity, an earnest of future happiness, 
of final and eternal rest. 



In our own ways, there is nothing but trouble ; but, 
giving ourselves entirely up to be guided by God, at 
his own pleasure, we may always be easy, since we 
know that by every step he brings us nearer to heaven. 



Pride and indulgence, fallen nature's fruit, 
Religion strikes at, to the very root ; 
And where they hold an undisputed rule, 
That heart was never in the Gospel school. 

^ ^ ^ >!i * 

Nor loves, nor looks to Zion's heavenly gate, 
Where many mansions for believers wait ; 
Where ransom'd sinners round their Saviour meet, 
And cast their crowns, rejoicing, at his feet ; 
And where, whate'er pursuits their powers employ, 
His presence makes the fulness of their joy. 



The tongue, that most unruly pow'r. 
Requires a strong restraint ; 

We must be watchful every hour, 
And pray, but never faint. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 139 

As the virtue of a strong spirituous liquor evaporates 
by degrees, in a vial which is not closely stopped ; in 
like manner, the life and power of the spirit insensibly 
vanish away, if the heart is not kept with all diligence. 

Repentance, or godly sorrow for sin, is the doctrine 
of the Gospel ; this is absolutely necessary to faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and a life of union and commu- 
nion with him. 



Insatiable man too often grasps at objects he does 
not want, the attainment of which being an unsancti- 
fied acquisition, proves a curse instead of a blessing. 
Such would do well to remember, how much better it 
is to sit by a small fire, and be warmed, than a great 
me, and be burned. 



An author of celebrity remarked — " I seldom see a 
noble building, or any great piece of magnificence, but 
I think, how little is all this to satisfy the ambition, 
or to fill the idea of an immortal soul." 



"A Brahmin, of my own age, was performing his 
devotions to Gunga early this morning, when I was 
going to prayer. My soul was struck with the sover- 
eignty of God, who, out of pure grace, had made such 
a difference between all the external circumstances of 
our lives. 0, let not that man's earnestness rise up 
in judgment against me at the last day !" — Henry 
Martyn. 



Many opinions may be true and useful ; many prac- 
tices may be innocent and edifying ; but nothing can 
be matter of necessity, except what Christ and his 



140 GLEANINGS FROM 

apostles have required as terms of salvation. Every 
person that complies with these is a true Christian ; 
every church that teaches these is a true church ; and 
neither ignorance nor error about any other matters 
can forfeit our title to everlasting life. When once 
Christ hath said, ''Believe, and do such and such 
things, and you shall be saved," who is it that shall 
dare to say, "Believe, and do more, or you shall not 
be saved?" 



We are most likely to prosper in our attempts to 
glorify God and serve our generation, when we are 
convinced by experience that we can do nothing of 
ourselves: when our whole dependence is placed on 
him, and our only expectation is from him, we shall 
then be prepared to mark, and to record his works of 
power and love. Those whom he employs, he brings 
to feel as well as to acknowledge their insufficiency. 



Christian reader, dost thou not feel sometimes a 
strong impression to retire from the world, and draw 
near to God ? Do not disobey, but take the offer, and 
hoist up thy sails while this blessed gale may be had. 



To thy saints, while here below. 
With new years, new mercies come; 
But the happiest year they know, 
Is their last, which leads them home. 



The Christian character is little understood by the 
votaries of the world ; if it were, they would be struck 
with its grandeur. It is the very reverse of that 
meanness and pusillanimity, that abject spirit, and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 141 

those narrow views, which those who know it not 
ascribe to it. 



Believer, if thou art now reaping in joy, and singing 
hymns of triumph, be thankful ; but remember that 
this work belongs more to the next world than the 
present. Here, weeping and rejoicing follow each 
other, and sorrow will often find a lodging in the bosom 
of faith. For there is no retreat from the field of 
battle ; and thine enemies will not leave thee, while 
thou hast a breath to draw. Let this be a check to 
impatience. It is, indeed, needful to be humbled 
under a sense of thy misery, so as to sigh, groan, and 
weep often ; and this is the true seed for eternity. 
Not a single tear and groan will be lost : they are all 
in the book of the Lord. 



God counts the sorrows of his saints ; 

Their groans aifect his ears ; 
He has a book for their complaints 

A bottle for their tears. 

The Lord can clear the darkest skies, 
Can give us day for night ; 

Make drops of sacred sorrow rise 
To rivers of delight. 



"Is it bigotry," says an elegant writer, "to believe 
the sublime truths of the Gospel with full assurance of 
faith ? — I glory in such bigotry : I would not part 
with it for a thousand worlds : I congratulate the man 
who is possessed of it ; for amidst all the vicissitudes 
and calamities of the present state, that man enjoys 



142 GLEANINGS mOM 

an inexhaustible fund of consolation, of whicli nothing 
can deprive him." 

Lord, open sinners' eyes 

Their awful state to see ; 

And make them, ere the storm arise, 

To thee for safety flee. 



" Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, 
do ye even so to them." Every man should carry this 
rule in his heart, for there is no act we can perform 
towards others which, if measured by it, it would not 
solve the rectitude of, to a mathematical nicety. 



No works shall find acceptance in that day, 
When all disguises shall be rent away. 
That square not truly with the Scripture plan, 
Nor spring from love to God, or love to man. 



We are not called upon to examine ourselves as we 
appear to others, when w^e know the eye of the world 
is fixed upon us, but as we really are at home, in the 
secret retreats of life, in the midst of our family, with 
our every-day tempers and dispositions, exposed to 
unnumbered sources of irritation, to trials, to sickness, 
and privations, and more than all, to the deceitfulness 
of the heart. 



Our gracious Master, kind and just, 

Knowing our frame, remembers man is dust. 

>i< ;K ^ ^ ^ ^ 

His ears are open to the softest cry ; 
His grace descends to meet the lifted eye ; 
He reads the language of a silent tear ; 
And sighs are incense from a heart sincere. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 143 

He is the best Christian whose heart beats with the 
truest pulse towards heaven. 



His life is hidden though his graces shine, 
He walks through life's distracting changes now 
With even pace, and with an even brow ; 
Hears the vain world's tumultuous hue and cry, 
Just turns his head, and passes calmly by ; 
Yet takes his cheerful share, when duty draws ; 
And still is foremost found in mercy's cause. 



Oh, the blessed communion of saints ! one member 
has the benefit of all the other members' gifts, pray- 
ers, and ministrations. One prays for all, and all 
pray for one. What one has, the other enjoys also. 
It may be truly said of them. All is yours. There is 
no envy, no haughtiness, no strife or harm, among real 
saints ; for why should I envy that which is my own ? 
why should I despise that which serves for my neces- 
sary assistance ? and why should I strive against, and 
hurt him whose hurt is my own ? Is there any strife 
between the members of our natural body ? By no 
means : they all serve, help, and assist one another ; 
and if one be injured and suffers, all the rest run to 
his relief, and are neither tired nor angry, if the heal- 
ing does not follow immediately. Lord, unite us 
all in hearty fellowship and tender feeling for each 
other ; and stop all open and subtle divisions which 
are fermented by lofty spirits, who always boast of 
mighty things, and to be wise above the rest. Suffer 
not a self-conceited and a party spirit, which is the 
spirit of the world, to influence the members of thy 
body ; but bless and grace them all with true humility ; 



144 GLEANINGS FROil 

then "vve shall live in a solid union and uninterrupted 
harmony. 



He bless'd the bread, but vanish'd at the word, 
And left them both exclaiming, "'Twas the Lord I 
Did not our hearts feel all he deign'd to say ? 
Did they not burn within us by the way ?" 



^Ah! (said Hugo Grotius) I have consumed much 
of my life in laboriously doing nothing.'' 



One part, one little part, we dimly scan. 

Thro' the dark medium of life's feverish dream ; 

Yet dare arraign the whole stupendous plan, 

If but that little part incongruous seem. 

Nor is that part, perhaps, what mortals deem : 

Oft from apparent ill our blessings rise. 

0, then, renounce that impious self-esteem. 

That aims to trace the secrets of the skies ; 

For thou art but of dust : be humble, and be wise. 



In speaking of that peace which passeth understand- 
ing, we allude not to those illuminations and raptures, 
which, if God has in some instances bestowed them, he 
has nowhere pledged himself to bestow ; but of that 
rational yet elevated hope which flows from an assured 
persuasion of the paternal love of our heavenly Father; 
of that "secret love of the Lord," which he himself 
has assured us "is with them that fear him;" of that 
life and power of religion which are the privilege of 
those " who abide under the shadow of the Almighty;" 
of those who "know in whom they have believed;" 
of those who " walk not after the flesh, but after the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 145 

spirit ;" of those ^' who endure, as seeing him who is 
invisible." 



But seeking (accounting all beside it loss) 
A thorough renovation at the cross. 
Then would the healing streams of mercy wind 
Throughout the sickly mazes of the mind ; 
The weeds of selfishness would droop and die, 
And plants of charity their place supply : 
That fruitful stream, refreshing as it flows, 
Would make the desert blossom as the rose. 



It is said of the celebrated John Howard, that once, 
when he had cast up his accounts at the end of the 
year, and found he had more than he thought, he said 
to his wife, "My dear, I will treat you with a journey 
to London." She smiled and said, " My dear, the 
money would build a pretty cottage for a poor person." 
The hint was received, and acted upon accordingly. 



To thee. Humanity, still true, 
I'll wish the good I cannot do ; 
And give the wretch that passes by, 
A soothing word — a tear — a sigh. 

Oh ! hear that lonely widow's wail ! 

See her dim eye, her aspect pale ! 

To heav'n she turns, in deep despair ; 

Her infants wonder at her pray'r, 

And mingling tears, they know not why, 

Lift up their little hands and cry. 

Lord ! their moving sorrows see ! 

Support them, sweet Humanity ! 
13 



146 GLEANINGS FROM 

A true sense of our unworthiness makes every bless- 
ing great and precious. 



"You see here a man," said the pious Halyburton 
on his death-bed, " dying, a monument of the glorious 
power of admirable and astonishing grace. Study the 
•power of religion : it is the power ^ and not the name^ 
that will give you the comfort I find." 



Be kind to thy friends, that they may continue such ; 
and to thy enemies, that they may become thy friends. 

If we know ourselves, we shall remember the conde- 
scension, benignity, and love, that is due to those called 
inferiors; the affability, friendship, and kindness, we 
ought to show to equals ; the regard, deference, and 
honour, we owe to superiors ; and the candour, integ- 
rity, and benevolence, we owe to all. 



Of all the blessings which are bestowed upon us, 
there are perhaps none more expedient, or more to be 
requested of God, than a spirit of impartiality with 
respect to ourselves, together with that accurate dis- 
cernment, that suspicious severity, that care to distin- 
guish between real probity and the false appearance 
of it, and that caution not to be imposed upon by hypo- 
crisy and dissimulation, which we usually exert, when 
we scan the actions and pretensions of other people. 
This is the best security against the dangerous illusions 
of self-love. The lower we place ourselves, the higher 
we shall rise in the favour of God; and the readier we 
are to censure our own defects, the nearer we shall ba 
to repentance and amendment. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 147 

He that will set the hearts of other men on fire with 
the love of Christ, must himself burn with love. 



Let us take heed we do not sometimes call that zeal 
for God and his Gospel, which is nothing else but our 
own tempestuous and stormy passion. True zeal is a 
sweet, heavenly, and gentle flame, which maketh us 
active for God, but always within the sphere of love. 
It never calls for fire from heaven to consume those 
that differ a little from us in their apprehensions. It 
is like that kind of lightning (which the philosophers 
speak of) that melts the sword within, but singeth not 
the scabbard ; it strives to save the soul, but hurteth 
not the body. True zeal is a loving thing, and makes 
us always active to edification, and not to destruction. 
If we keep the fire of zeal within the chimney, in its 
own proper place, it never doth any hurt ; it only 
warmeth, quickeneth, and enliveneth us ; but if once we 
let it break out, and catch hold of the thatch of our 
flesh, and kindle our corrupt nature, and set the house 
of our body on fire, it is no longer zeal — it is no hea- 
venly fire — it is a most destructive and devouring thing. 

Where can the wisdom and gentleness of a Christian 
be better seen than in reproving ? 



Sweetness and ingenuousness will more easily com- 
mand men's minds than passion, sourness, and severity. 

When we would convince men of any error by the 
strength of truth, let us withal pour the sweet balm of 
love upon their heads. Truth and love are two of the 
most powerful things in the world ; and when they both 
go together, they cannot easily be withstood. The 



148 GLEANINGS FROM 

golden beams of truth, and the silken cords of love, 
twisted together, will draw men on with a sweet vio- 
lence, whether thej will or no. 



It is said, that after the death of Archbishop Tillot- 
son, a bundle of papers was found in his scrutoire, in- 
dorsed with these words, in his own hand: ^' These are 
libels : I pray God to forgive the authors of them ; I 
do." 

True charity, a plant divinely nurs'd, 

Fed by the love from which it rose at first, 

Thrives against hope, and, in the rudest scene, 

Storms but enliven its unfading green ; 

Exub'rant is the shadow it supplies ; 

Its fruit's on earth, its growth above the skies. 



" Soon after being in the company of (said 

one) I found he spoke with much fluency and pro- 
priety, and particularly about religion : my attention 
was excited by his conversation ; for he appeared to 
have more enlarged views of men and things than 
most I had met with. He spoke in terms so high of 
some particular characters as induced me to think that 
their value was not sufficiently known. But soon after, 
I was rather confounded by a sentiment he dropped, 
concerning another character, which was as remarka- 
ble for its detraction as the other expressions were for 
their approbation. While I remained with him, he 
pursued the same method in his discourse ; and I saw 
plainly he fell into the sin of exaggeration, for while 
he could scarcely find words to express his encomiums 
on some, he again appeared at a loss to represent, in 
a manner sufficiently strong, the faults of others." 



PIOUS xlUTHORS. 149 

Charity :— 

Pure in her aim, and in her temper mild, 
Her wisdom seems the weakness of a child ; 
She makes excuses where she might condemn, 
Revil'd by those that hate her, prays for them ; 
Suspicion lurks not in her artless breast ; 
The worst suggested, she believes the best; 
Not soon provok'd, however stung and teaz'd, 
And if, perhaps, made angry, soon appeas'd; 
She rather waves than will dispute her right, 
And, injur'd, makes forgiveness her delight. 



Christian charity is a great enlarger of means. 

That circumference cannot be small of which God is 
the centre. 



A Christian has hopes and fears, cares and tempta- 
tions, inclinations and desires, as well as other men. 
God, in changing the heart, does not extinguish the 
passions. Were that the case, the Christian life would 
cease to be a warfare. 



How comfortable is it to the religious man to behold 
an increase of the true worshippers of God ! and more 
especially in that place where his soul has dwelt among 
lions, and been '' vexed, from day to day, with the 
filthy conversation of the wicked!" 



Mirth is short and transient, cheerfulness fixed and 
permanent. They are often raised into the greatest 
transports of mirth who are subject to the greatest de- 
pressions of melancholy: on the contrary, cheerfulness, 
though it does not give the mind such an exquisite 



1^0 GLEANINGS FKOM 

gladness, prevents it from falling into any depths of 
sorrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks 
through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment ; 
cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, 
and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity. 

Enough has heaven indulg'd of joy below, 
To tempt our tarriance in this lov'd retreat : 
Enough has heaven ordain'd of useful woe, 
To make us languish for a happier seat. 

There is who deems all climates, all seasons fair ; 
There is who knows no restless passions' strife : 
Contentment, smiling at each idle care, 
Contentment, thankful for the gift of life ! 



The only amaranthine flower on earth 

Is Virtue ; the only lasting treasure, Truth, 



The greatest of all afflictions is, an affliction lost. 



Knowledge in general expands the mind, exalts the 
faculties, refines the taste of pleasure, and opens innu- 
merable sources of intellectual enjoyment. By means 
of it we become less dependent for satisfaction upon 
the sensitive appetites ; the gross pleasures of sense 
are more easily despised, and we are made to feel the 
superiority of the spiritual over the material being. 
Instead of being continually solicited by the influence 
and irritation of sensible objects, the mind can retire 
within herself, and expatiate in the cool and quiet 
walks of contemplation. 



Blows not a flow'ret on the enamel'd vale. 
Shines not a pebble where the rivulet strays. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 151 

Sports not an insect on the spicy gale, 

But claims our wonder, and excites our praise. 



human life ! how mutable, how vain ! 
How thy wide sorrows circumscribe the joy ! 
A sunny island in a stormy main ; 
A spot of azure in a cloudy sky. 



' The Plague in London, in the year 1665, is sup- 
posed to have carried off about one hundred thousand 
persons. Many more recent events of a similar kind, 
are calculated to awaken considerations of moment in 
the heart of every one who desires to be found with his 
''• loins girded about,'" and ''his light burning.'' 



" So teach us to number our days, that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom." — Psalm xc. 12. 



As thou walkest in the garden, dost thou observe 
the slow motion of the shadow upon a dial there ? It 
passes over the hour-lines with an imperceptible pro- 
gress, yet it will touch the last line of day-light 
shortly : so thy hours and moments move onward with 
a silent pace ; but they will arrive, with certainty, at 
their last limit, how heedless soever thou art of their 
motion, and how thoughtless soever thou mayst be of 
the improvement of time, or the end of it. 



Bashfulness is not so much the effect of an ill edu- 
cation, as the proper gift and provision of wise nature. 
Every stage of life has its own set of manners, that is 
suited to it, and best becomes it. Each is beautiful 
in its season ; and you might as well quarrel with the 
child's rattle, and advance him directly to the boy's 



152 GLEANINGS FROM 

top and span-farthing, as expect from diffident youth 
the manly confidence of riper age. 

(Cecil.) — '^When I was a child, and a very wicked 
one too, one of Dr. Watts's Hymns sent me to weep in 
a corner. The lives in Janeway's Token had the same 
effect. I felt the iDfluence of faith in suffering Christ- 
ians. The character of young Samuel came home to 
me, when nothing else had any hold on my mind." 



When we devote our youth to God, 
'Tis pleasing in his eyes : 

A flower, when offered in the bud, 
Is no mean sacrifice. 



Never was there a man of deep piety who has not 
been brought into extremities — who has not been put 
into the fire — who has not been taught to say, Though 
he slay me, yet luill I trust in him I 



Brought safely by his hand thus far. 
Why wilt thou now give place to fear ? 
How canst thou want, if he provide, 
Or lose thy way with such a guide ? 
^ >|j ^ ^ ^ 

He who has helped thee hitherto, 
Will help thee all thy journey through, 
And give thee daily cause to raise 

New Ebenezers to his praise. 



It is always a sign of poverty of mind, when men 
are ever aiming to appear great : for they who are 
really great, never seem to know it. 



The true dignity of man — of a Christian — consists 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 153 

in endeavouring to fill up his duty in the station which 
he is permitted to fill in this world. There are few, 
if any, situations, in which a man who is upright may 
not shine. There is lustre in integrity; and the peace 
which Christ gives to his humble, dependent children, 
can reach the humble cottager as well as the inhabi- 
tant of the mansion. Many, by having their eye out 
after things not within their reach, nor within their 
sphere, neglect or overlook surrounding and intended 
blessings ; and so are not thankful as they might be. 
Thankfulness for mercies received is a very precious 
feeling, and gives a sweet relish to what we enjoy. 

Oh! the long list of mercies undeserved, 
And, oh ! what greater gifts are still reserved. 



One wrong step in the beginning af an important 
concern, like a wrong figure in the early part of a sum 
in arithmetic, may lead throughout into error. 



Love and envy are the very antipodes of each other: 
the former delights in the happiness of others ; the 

latter is made miserable by it. What a beautifying 

and even sublime temper is that, which leads its pos- 
sessor to find consolation amidst its own straits, priva- 
tions, and difliculties, in contemplating the possessions 
and the comforts of those around him ! What relief 
would such elevated virtue bring to the mourner, when 
he could turn his own darkened orb towards the illu- 
mination of his neighbour's prosperity ! Happy the 
man who can thus borrow the joys of others when he 
has none, or few, of his own ; and, from the wilder- 
ness of his own situation, enjoy the beautiful prospect 
of his friend's domain ! 



154 GLEANINaS FROM 

Charity : 

Who seeks to praise thee, and to make thee known 
To other hearts, must have thee in their own. 



It has been justly remarked, concerning the great 
fire in London, in the year 1666, that '' He who hath 
given us the elements for our comfort and safety, can 
easily employ them for our misery and destruction, 
when we sin against him." It seemed as if no efforts 
could extinguish the flame, till it had destroyed a con- 
siderable part of the city ; no less than four hundred 
streets, and thirteen thousand houses being reduced to 
ashes. 



The business of this life should be conducted on a 
moderate scale, without stretching the arms too wide, 
or hazarding mental stillness and solid happiness, for 
specious and glittering, but uncertain prospects. 



Not to aim at great things is the way to have com- 
mon comforts in plenty. 



A little with the blessing is a deal : 
Witness the widow's oil, the widow's meal. 



Keal worth may exceed appearances. — If, in some 
men's conversation, little or no splendour be discerned, 
it is better not to be rashly forward in censures of their 
estate. It may be they are not approached near 
enough. Perchance our heavenly Father may see that 
in secret, which doth not discover itself openly. He 
may have a bright side heavenward, though toward 
earth he seem wholly eclipsed. Perchance he hath so 
much more of the PuUican in him than the Pharisee^ 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 155 

as to think it a good work to conceal his good works: 
and therefore is so far from making his prayers in the 
open streets, to be seen of men, that he thinks his 
closet scarce private enough, when the door is shut : 
and is so far from proclaiming his almsgiving by sound 
of trumpet, that he will not let his left hand know 
what his right hand doeth, when it dispenseth them. 



Come, backward soul, to God resign ; 
Peace, his best blessing, shall be thine; 
Boldly recumbent on his care, 
Cast thy full burden only there. 



When the head of the believer is anointed with oil, 
and his cup runneth over, he may say, as David did : 
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me oil the days 
of my life : and I will dwell in the house of the Lord 
for ever. 



My willing soul would stay 
In such a frame as this. 
And sit and sing herself away 



To everlasting bliss. 



(Cecil.) — "After so many years of uninterrupted 
activity, to be imprisoned, to be silenced, and almost 
incapable of writing or reading, is more wearisome 
than even the pain that often accompanies it. And 
yet hence the following instruction may be gathered : — 
How much activity belongs to some natures ; and that 
this nature is often mistaken for grace. How much 
we are called to suffer, as well as do, the will of God. 
When I have bid one of my children sit down quietly, 
and remain silent during my pleasure, I enjoin him a 



156 GLEA^-IXCx5 TROM 

much more difficult task than the most active serrice ; 
and yet I expected it to be done, because I ordered it. 

How is it that I have no: yet learnt to sit still vrhen I 
am bid?" 



Another affection ro be exercised in heavenly 

contemplation, is hope. This helps to support the 
soul under sufferings, animates it to the greatest diffi- 
culties, gives it firmness in the most shaking trials, 
and is a spring that sets all the wheels a-going. Who 
would believe or strive for heaven, if it were not for 
the hope he hath to obtain it ? 



Hope, with uplifted foot, set free from earth, 
Pants for the place of her ethereal birth, 
On steady win^rs sails through th' immense abyss, 
Plucks amaranthine joys from bow'rs of bliss, 
And crowns the soul, while yet a mourner here, 
"With wreaths like those triumphant spirits wear. 
Hope, as an anchor firm and sure, holds fast 
The Christian vessel, and defies the blast. 



It is no uncommon thing for those who are to be 
employed in great and important services in the cause 
of God and truth, to be themselves the subjects of 
fiery trial, that they may be more fitted for their work. 
Luther, at a certain time, was violently harassed and 
afflicted with temptation ; insomuch that his heart was 
rent with anguish, and tears streamed from his eyes, 
and his breath was spent in sighing. Amidst these 
pangs of distress, a person accosted him with the fol- 
lowing words : "My son, why dost thou mourn ? Dost 
thou not know that God hath commanded thee to be- 
lieve ?'* ''When I heard that word command,'" ^^js 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 15T 

the zealous reformer, " it prevailed more on my heart 
than all that I heard, or read, or thought on before." 
He acknowledged that he did not understand some 
scriptures till he was in affliction ; and that he was 
never employed in any new thing, but that he was beset 
with some temptation, or visited with a fit of sickness. 



Philip Henry recommended it as a good rule, to lay 
by for charity, in proportion to the circumstances ; as 
it will be easier to lay out in charity, and we shall be 
more apt to seek for opportunities of doing good, when 
we have money lying by us, of which we have said, 
** This is not our own, but the poor's." 



The free-born Christian has no chains to prove ; 
Or, if a chain, the golden one of love : 
No fear attends to quench his glowing fires ; 
What fear he feels his gratitude inspires. 
Shall he, for such deliverance freely wrought. 
Recompense ill ? He trembles at the thought. 
His master's interest and his own combin'd, 
Prompt every movement of his heart and mind: 
Thought, word, and deed his liberty evince ; 
His freedom is the freedom of a prince. 

About three hours before the death of the well- 
known James Hervey, he affectionately addressed his 
friend. Dr. Stonehouse, on the importance of his ever- 
lasting concerns, and entreated him not to be over- 
charged with the cares of this life ; but to attend, 
amidst the multiplicity of his business, to the one thing 
needful, adding : — 

Which done, the poorest can no wants endure; 

And which not done, the richest must be poor. 
14 



158 GLEANINGS FROM 

Upon the nearer approach of dissolution, being raised 
a little in his chair, he said, with great serenity and 
sweetness in his countenance, " Lord^ noio lettest thou 
thy servant depart in peace, according to thy most 
holy word, for mine eyes have seen thy most precious 
and comfortable salvation. Here, Doctor, is my cor- 
dial : what are all the cordials given to support the 
dying, in comparison of that which arises from the 
promises of salvation by Christ ? This, this supports 



Thus, when the Christian pilgrim views, 
By faith, his mansion in the skies, 
The sight his fainting strength renews, 
And wings his speed to reach the prize. 

The thought of home his spirit cheers ; 
No more he grieves for troubles past, 
Nor any future trial fears. 
So he may safe arrive at last. 



The path of life is compared to the sea, to the wil- 
derness, to the earthquake, and to the fire. To the 
sea, when the mind is tossed with tempest, and not 
comforted, until He is pleased to arise who formerly 
said to the sea, ''Peace, be still:" — to the wilderness, 
wherein we are taught to accept that food which He 
who feedeth the ravens seeth meet for us, although it 
may not always be grateful to the natural desire :— 
to the earthquake, because the earthly mind in us 
must be shaken and removed out of its place, before 
we can be formed into the image of the heavenly : — ■ 
and to the fire, whereby everything of the first nature 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 159 

that is opposed to the divine nature and excellence, 
will be burnt up. 



Written on a leaf containing the dying expressions 
of a distinguished servant of Christ : — 
" Thus weary seamen, as they ply 

Through dashing waves, the labouring oar, 
Should they the wished-for land descry, 
With shoutings hail the opening shore ; 
On hinder barks cast back an anxious eye. 
And raise the animating signal high !" 



The following, as a " favourite maxim of John New- 
ton, was, it is said, often in his mouth, more often in 
his actions, and apparently in his heart." 

*' Not ignorant of suffering, I hasten to succour the 
wretched." 



Some value themselves on account of their fortune, 
look down with contempt on those below them, and 
exact obsequiousness towards themselves, and defer- 
ence for their opinions, according to the thousands of 
money, or of acres, which they possess. Others are 
proud of their talents, either natural or acquired. The 
brilliancy of their genius, the extent of their learning, 
the splendour of their imagination, the acuteness of 
their understanding, their power to argue, or declaim, 
form the object of self-esteem, and the reasons of that 
disdain which they pour upon all who are inferior to 
them in mental endowments. 



Disease and pain invade our health, 

And find an easy prey ; 
And oft, when least expected, wealth 

Takes wing, and flies away. 



160 GLEANINGS FROM 

A fever or a blow can shake 

Our wisdom's boasted rule ; 
And of the brightest genius make 

A madman or a fool. 

The gourds from which we look for fruit, 

Produce us only pain ; 
A worm unseen attacks the root, 

And all our hopes are vain. 

I pity those who seek no more 

Than such a world can give ; 
Wretched are they, and blind, and poor, 

And dying while they live. 

Christian love cannot be cultivated, nor envy de- 
stroyed in our hearts, but by the power of the Holy 
Spirit. We may as well try to pull up by the roots 
the oak of a century's growth, or overturn a mountain 
by our own strength, as to eradicate the vice of envy 
from our hearts, without the aid of God's own Spirit : 
that aid is promised to fervent and persevering prayer, 
and if we have it not, the fault is our own. 



Happy the heart where graces reign, 
Where love inspires the breast: 

Love is the brightest of the train, 
And perfects all the rest. 

>K >ii ^ ^ 

When join'd to that harmonious throng. 

That fills the choirs above, 
Then shall we tune our golden harps. 

And ev'ry note be love. 



The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 161 

the earth is burnt at his presence ; yea, the world and 
all that divell therein. In the year 1755, a rum- 
bling noise of thunder under the city of Lisbon proved 
a prelude to that tremendous earthquake which, in six 
minutes, destroyed sixty thousand persons. While at 
the same time, many other places at a very remote 
distance were partakers in the awful visitation, and 
among these, a village eight leagues from Morocco, in 
Africa, with all its inhabitants, estimated at from eight 
to ten thousand. In 1812, after several violent shocks 
at Caraccas, in South America, the surface undulated, 
like a boiling liquid, and terrific sounds were heard 
underground. The whole city with its splendid build- 
ings was soon a heap of ruins, under which several 
thousand of the inhabitants were buried. A like visit- 
ation in the island of Sumbawa, in 1815, instantane- 
ously swept away all but twenty-six of its population, 
estimated at twelve thousand. 



We stand upon the brink of death, 
When most we seem secure. 



(Cecil.) — As the Christian's exigencies arise, he has 
a spiritual habit of turning to God, and saying with 
the Church, Tell me, thou luhom my soul loveth, 
where thou feedest, where thou maJcest thy flocks to rest 
at noon. I have tried to find rest elsewhere. I have 
fled to shelters which held out great promise of repose; 
but I have now long since learned to turn unto thee : 
Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feed- 
est, where thou maJcest thy flocks to rest at 7ioon. 



All joy to the believer ! he can speak — 
Trembling yet happy, confident yet meek. 
14"- 



162 GLEANINGS FROM 

Since the dear hour that brought me to thy foot, 

And cut up all my follies by the root, 

I never trusted in an arm but thine, 

Nor hoped but in thy righteousness divine : 

My prayers and alms, imperfect and defil'd, 

Were but the feeble efforts of a child ; 

I cast them at thy feet — ray only plea 
Is what it "was, dependence upon thee ; 
While stru^glino; in the vale of tears below, 
That never failed, nor shall it fail me now. 

Angelic gratulations rend the skies, 
Pride falls unpitied, never more to rise. 
Humility is crown'd, and faith receives the prize. 



There are many who will endure any hardship, make 
any exertion, bear any sacrifice, for ihQiv friends ; for 
whom they can never do enough ; but towards their 
enemies they are unkind, implacable, and resentful. 
The man who has injured them, they can never for- 
give ; for him they have no kindness, but hold him in 
contempt, aversion and neglect. But Christianity 
requires a higher and more disinterested virtue than 
this, for it commands us to be kind to our enemies. 



Let us for each other care. 
Each the other's burden bear ; 
To thy Church the pattern give, 
Show how true believers live. 

Free from anger and from pride, 
Let us thus in God abide ; 
All the depths of love express, 
All the heights of holiness. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 163 

What I do thou Jcnoivest not now, hut thou shalt 
know hereafter, is the unvaried language of God, in his 
providence. He will have credit every step. He 
will not assign reasons, because he will exercise faith. 



There is not a nobler sight in the world than an 
aged and experienced Christian, who having been sifted 
in the sieve of temptation, stands forth as a confirmer 
of the assaulted — testifying, from his own trials, the 
reality of religion ; and meeting, by his warnings, and 
directions, and consolations, the cases of all who may 
be tempted to doubt it. 



Where Christian love glows in the breast, there will 
be best appreciated the value and importance of our 
Saviour's admonition : " Judge not, that ye be not 
judged." 

The spirit of benevolence, if cherished and encou- 
raged, sends forth fresh shoots. The soul is enriched 
by an increase of benevolence, although the means of 
gratifying or exercising it, to an extent adequate to 
our feelings, may not be within our power. 



Words uttered from the heart, find their way to the 
heart by a holy sympathy 

A good man seen, though silent, counsel gives. 



(Cecil.) — ''Lying on my couch at an interval of 
ease, I form a project of some work: I trace the good 
effects it ought to produce ; and say to myself, TF% 
do we sit still till lue die f I start up to find pen and 
paper, and at the moment my painful complaint arrests 
me afresh. While I, fainting, recline again, I seem 



164 GLEANINGS FROM 

to hear, *Know, feeble worm, that even God's work 
must wait for God's call, and time, and strength.' " 

They also serve who only stand and wait. 

A good man hath sweet satisfaction and delight, in 
secret converse with himself and with his God. 



See of how rich a lot, how blest. 
The true believer stands possest ! 



It is a symptom of decline, when a man will unne- 
cessarily EXPOSE THE IMPERFECTIONS OF THE RELI- 
GIOUS WORLD. " Such a man," he will say, "is fond 
of praying; but he is fond of money." This is the 
very opposite spirit to that of St. Paul, who speaks, 
even weeping^ of those who mind earthly things. 



A VIOLENT SECTARIAN SPIRIT is a sign of rcligious 
declension. Honest men stand firm for the vitals of 
religion. If the mind were right, the circumstantials 
of religion would not be made matters of fierce conten- 
tion. The spirit of St. Paul was of another kind. If 
meat make my brother to offend^ I will eat no meat 
while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to 
offend. — One believeth that he may eat all things: 
another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that 
eateth, despise him that eateth not ; and let not him 
which eateth not, judge him that eateth. 



An OSTENTATIOUS SPIRIT in a professor of religion 
does great injury — ih-dX giving out that he is so7ne great 
one. Even a child will often detect this spirit, when 
we think no one discovers it. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 165 

Numberless indeed are the mercies of the Lord, and 
as numberless the ways through which they are ex- 
tended to mankind ; but all are graciously designed to 
bring us nearer to himself. 

I prais'd the earth, in beauty seen, 
With garlands gay of various green ; 
I prais'd the sea, whose ample field 
Shone glorious, as a silver shield ; 
And earth and ocean seem'd to say, 
" Our beauties are but for a day !" 

I prais'd the sun, whose chariot roU'd 
On wheels of amber and of gold ; 
I prais'd the moon, whose softer eye 
Gleamed gently through the summer sky ! 
And moon and sun in answer said, 
" Our days of light are numbered !" 

God I good beyond compare ! 
If thus thy meaner works are fair, 
If thus thy bounties gild the span 
Of ruined earth and sinful man, 
How glorious must the mansion be 
Where thy redeemed dwell with Thee ! 



Within the enclosure of Divine fear there is perfect 
safety and suflScient strength : into the fold of Christ, 
the wild beast of the field, whose nature is to devour, 
cannot enter, nor can the keen eye of the tempter see 
its excellency, though he may attempt to draw us 
aside from it. 



Those to whom Christ is precious, reckon his ser- 



166 GLEANINGS FROM 

vice, even the most despised instances of it, an hon- 
our to them. 



The well-known Countess of Huntingdon observed : 
*' When I gave myself to the Lord, I likewise devoted 
to him all my fortune, with this reserve, that I would 
take with a sparing hand what might be necessary for 
my food and raiment, and for the support of my chil- 
dren should they live to be reduced." A person from 
the country once visiting her, turned his eyes towards 
the house as he left it, and exclaimed, " "What a lesson ! 
can a person of her noble birth, nursed in the lap of 
grandeur, live in such a house, so meanly furnished — 
and shall I, a tradesman, be surrounded with luxury 
and elegance ? From this moment I shall hate my 
house, my furniture, and myself, for spending so little 
for God, and so much in folly." 



A Christian's life should be a practical invitation to 
holiness. 



When the mind has been surrounded by worldly 
affections, if not enveloped in them, from manhood to 
advanced years, and is in this state unclothed of mor- 
tality, what hope can it have of joining the general 
assembly and church of the first-born, which implies 
redeemed spirits ? May it not justly tremble lest the 
language go forth, I know you not ; and that it will 
be found in the condition of the unhappy man who had 
not on a wedding garment ? 



A life of inaction is a disuse of talents, and a per- 
version of faculties for which we are responsible. It 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 167 

is the inlet of temptation. Our leisure days are the 
enemy's busy ones. 

For Satan finds some mischief still 
For idle hands to do. 



Luke xxii. 35. — And he said unto them, When I 
sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked 
ye anything f And they said. Nothing. — W. Mason, 
once an acting magistrate for the county of Surrey, 
observed: "These were precious words to me. With 
tears of thankfulness I record the goodness of my 
Lord to the chief of sinners. Upwards of twenty 
years ago, when it pleased God to call me by his grace, 
and make me happy in his love, my name was cast out 
as evil — friends became foes — their hands were against 
me — they withdrew their favours from me, and derided 
me — under narrow circumstances, tender feelings for 
a large family, carnal reasonings of my corrupt nature, 
and strong temptations from the enemy, I was sore 
distressed. But the Lord was gracious ; and often did 
he bring this text to my mind, Lackest thou anything f 
I was constrained wdth gratitude to reply. Nothing, 
Lord. Christ is a most precious master to serve ! I 
have proved it." 

Such is the soul that leaves this mortal land, 
Fearless, when the great master gives command. 
Death is the storm : she smiles to hear it roar, 
And bids the tempest waft her from the shore : 
Then with a skilful helm, she sweeps the seas, 
And manages the raging storm with ease ; 
{Her faith can govern death) she spreads her wings 



168 GLEANINGS PROM 

Wide to the wind, and as she sails she sings, 

And loses by degrees the sight of mortal things. 

As the shores lessen, so her joys arise, 

The waves roll gentler, and the tempest dies 

Now vast eternity fills all her sight, 

She floats on the broad deep with infinite delight, 

The sea's for ever calm, the sky's for ever bright. 



However the disposition and afi'ections of men may 
alter, God is always the same. 



There can be no true peace with God without faith- 
fulness in our duty, and a resolute abhorrence of all sin. 

0, friendly to the best pursuits of man, 
Friendly to thought, to virtue, and to peace, 
Domestic life in rural leisure pass'd ! 
Few know thy value, and few taste thy sweets ; 
Though many boast thy favours, and affect 
To understand and choose thee for their own. 



The youthful mind is like a strong soil, bringing 
forth abundantly, either plants or weeds ; it requires 
frequent weeding, and continual watching unto prayer. 

It is said of Cotton Mather, that when about to write 
a letter, especially to any foreign country, he would 
consider how far he could make it subservient to the 
purpose of exalting his divine Master, of promoting 
the service of Ms kingdom. 



The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, 
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave. 

Await alike the inevitable hour. 

The path of glory leads but to the grave. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 169 

A little rule, a little swaj, 
A sun-beam in a winter's day, 
Is all the proud and mighty have, 
Between the cradle and the grave. 



The biographer of Thomas Scott, the author of the 
Commentary, says of him, that ''his mind dwelt much 
upon love : O-od is love, and he that dwelleth in love 
dwelleth in Crod, and Gfod in him.'' Faith worketh 
by love. He seemed full of tenderness and affection 
to all around him. "One evidence," he said, "I have 
of meetness for heaven ; I feel much love to all man- 
kind, to ever^ man upon earth — to those who have 
most opposed and slandered me." 



It is cause enough for humility, to know that we are 
not humble. 



Many of our useful thoughts die away, without doing 
their office : vanishing, like bubbles, almost as soon as 
they appear. 

The hoary head is only a crown of glory when found 
in the way of righteousness. 

A short time before the death of Elias Boudinot, 
the estimable President of the American Bible Society, 
he was much gratified by the receipt of a letter from a 
female, who residing to the westward, had met occa- 
sionally with some respectable Indians, men of under- 
standing, who discovered concern for the situation of 
their country. While sitting in her parlour one day, 
unusually enjoying an opportunity of mental rest, two 
visitors of uncommon interest made their appearance : 
15 



170 GLEANINGS FROM 

the first was her old friend, the Delaware chief, the 
great Bock-on-jai-hai-Ius, who introduced his friend, 
i king Ka-box-ki; they had met her husband in the 
city, who had invited them to dinner. They were on 
their return from seeing their great father^ as they 
called the president. King Ka-box-ki was mostly 
silent : when he spoke, it was in the Delaware tongue ; 
he desired his friend to say he could not speak English. 
Bock-on-jai-hai-lus was more communicative, but seemed 
dejected, though noble and animated in his whole de- 
portment : after the cloth was removed, he said, " We 
now go." "And when shall I see you again?" re- 
joined his hostess. "Me old," said he: "me soon 
lie down," spreading his hand with a low horizontal 
motion ; then raising his eyes to heaven, and extending 
his hand to her with devout expression, " but we shall 
meet with Jesus /" Incited by sympathetic ardour 
and Christian love, his friend inquired, " Do you know 
Jesus?" "Me know Jesus — me love Jesus!" Then 
rising from the table, a solemn farewell closed this im- 
pressive visit ; leaving a sweet conviction of the efficacy 
of the declaration, that in Christ Jesus there is neither 
male nor female, harharian, Scythian, bond, nor free ! 
The writer enclosed an hundred dollars for the de- 
partment (particularly) of the Delaware translation of 
the Scriptures. 



Jesus ! lover of my soul, 
Let me to thy bosom fly. 
While the raging billows roll, 
While the tempest still is high : 

Hide me, my Saviour ! hide, 
Till the storm of life is past : 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 171 

Safe into the haven guide : 
receive m}'- soul at last ! 



Men ought always to "pray a,ncl not to faint. — Luke 
xviii. 1. Many things in the world are necessarily 
intermitted, because they are tied to place or times ; 
all places, all times are not convenient for them : 
but in case of prayer, it is otherwise ; it seeks no place, 
it attends no time. If our hand be clean, we must, as 
our apostle commands us, lift them up every where, at 
all times, and make every place a church, every day a 
Sabbath, every hour canonical. As you go to the 
market, as you stand in the street, as you walk in the 
fields ; in all these places you may pray as well, and 
with as good acceptance, as in the church ; for you 
yourselves are " temples of the Holy Ghost." 



Time was is past; thou canst not it recall: 
Time is, thou hast; employ the portion small: 
Time future is not ; and may never be : 
Time present is the only time for thee ! 

When the last hour approaches, how changed will be 
our estimate of earthly possessions ! How absurd our 
late incessant grasping to add new turrets to the fabric 
of ambition ; the foundation of which is shaking, and 
the ground on which it stands mouldering away ! 



Many a moment of unprofitable disquietude may be 
spared by an habitual effort not to take affront. 

A moral, sensible, and well-bred man 
Will not affront me; and no other can. 



172 GLEANINGS FROM 

While others their punctilios boast, 
Lord, bend my stubborn will ! 

For he that condescends the most, 
Remains the victor still. 



Few rightly estimate the worth 
Of joys that spring and fade on eartb; 
They are not weeds we should despise. 
They are not fruits of Paradise ; 
But wild flowers in the Pilgrim's way, 
That cheer yet not protract his stay; 
Which he dare not too fondly clasp, 
Lest they should perish in his grasp; 
And yet may view, and wisely love, 
As proofs and types of joy above. 



If we are truly foremost in the Christian course, 
there will be no triumphing, or carrying ourselves aloft 
upon it: we shall be heartily sorry to see others so far 
behind us. 



A true Christian cannot bear the thought of going 
to heaven alone. 



It is impossible for any man to know Christ to be a 
Saviour, till he knows himself to be a sinner. 



It is better to see our own faults than other people's. 



We do not set the mark of holiness high enough ; 
we do not raise our desire up to the Scripture standard 
of it ; we do not trust and pray enough. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 173 

Who can at once deliverance gain 

. From all that has enslav'd, entic'd ? 
Or hope abruptly to obtain 

The stature of a man in Christ ? 
Faith must anoint the eye to see ; 

Love the awakened heart must warm ; 
Grace must from sin's dominion free; 

And growth in grace the saint must form. 

For by degrees the work of God 

Is in the heart of man reveal'd ; — 
There, first conviction's chast'ning rod 

That desert makes a fruitful field. 
Prepared for culture from on high, 

There grace divine the seed must sow ; 
And there, uprising to the eye, 

The blade must first its greenness show. 

That blade, which, warm'd by light and love, 

Watered by dews of reverent fear, 
Aspiring to its source above. 

Shall bear the yet unripen'd ear. 
And lastly, must the ear, matur'd. 

The fulness of its corn possess, 
Ere in the garner safe secur'd, 

The husbandman his toil may bless. 

John Janeway, who died in his twenty-fifth year, 
was remarkable for his piety and exemplary conduct. 
Although he attained to considerable proficiency in 
learning, and had a just sense of its value, he soon 
learned to esteem all but as dross and dung, in com- 
parison of the knowledge of Christ, and him crucified. 
It was his custom to set apart an hour every day, for 
15- 



174 GLEANINGS FROM 

secret retirement and solemn meditation. On one of 
these occasions, a friend of his happened, unknown to 
him, to be in a situation where he observed all that 
passed ; and his remarks on the scene before him are 
worthy of insertion. '' What a spectacle did I behold! 
Surely a man walking with God, conversing intimately 
with him, and maintaining a holy freedom with the 
great Jehovah. Methought I saw a spiritual merchant 
in a heavenly exchange, pursuing a rich trade for the 
treasures of the other world. 0, what an animating 
sight it was ! Methinks I see him still. How lovely 
was his countenance ! His looks, and smiles, and 
every action, bespoke him to be on the confines of 
glory." He often lamented the barrenness of Chris- 
tians in their converse with each other. "0," said he, 
" what indifference, to spend an hour or two together, 
and to hear scarcely a word that speaks people's hearts 
in love with holiness ! Where is our love to God and 
our fellow-creatures all this while ? Where is our sense 
of the preciousness of time ? of the greatness of our 
account?" &c. — Though he was generall}^, as he ap- 
proached his end, in a triumphant frame of spirit, yet 
he experienced, at times, some variations ; in these 
seasons he used to say, "Hold out, faith and patience, 
yet a little while, and your trial will be over." Near 
the close of his life, most of his work was praise. Ad- 
miring the boundless love of God to him, he said : " 0, 
why these favours to me. Lord ? Why to me? — Praise 
is now my work; and I shall be engaged in that sweet 
employment for ever. 0, help me to praise him. I 
have nothing else to do. I have done Y>'ith praj^er ; I 
have almost done with conversing with mortals. I 
shall soon behold Christ himself, who died for me, and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 1T5 

loved me, and washed me in his blood. I shall shortly 
be in eternity, singing the song of Moses, and the song 
of the Lamb. I shall presently stand upon Mount 
Zion, with an innumerable company of angels, and the 
spirits of the just made perfect. I shall hear the voice 
of multitudes, and be one amongst them who say, 
'Hallelujah! glory, and honour, and power unto the 
Lord our God !' " Thus did this favoured and happy 
spirit take his leave of this world, and rise triumphant 
to the regions of bliss and immortality. 

Jesus can make a dying bed 
Feel soft as downy pillows are ; 
While on his breast I lean my head. 
And breathe my life out sweetly there. 



"Wilt thou be made whole?" is a trying question, 
when it comes to be well considered. 



We can take rebuke patiently from a book, but not 
from a tongue. 

that I were as in months past, as in the days when 
God preserved me ; when his candle shined upon my 
head, and when hy his light I walked through dark- 
ness. — Job xxix. 2, 3. 



It may be painful, thus to turn 
To favour'd seasons — past and gone ; 
And from our present darkness learn 
The value of the light that shone. 

Yet, it is good to know from whom 
That light divine alone could flow ; 



176 GLEAXIXGS FROM 

And merciful may be the gloom 
Which teaches us its source to know. 



In trouble and in grief, God ! 

Thy smile hath cheer'd my way ; 
And joy hath budded from each thorn 

That round my footsteps lay. 

The hours of pain have yielded good, 
Which prosperous days refused : 

As herbs, though scentless when entire, 
Spread fragrance when they're bruised, 

The oak strikes deeper, as its boughs 
By furious blasts are driven ; 

So life's vicissitudes the more 
Have fixed my heart on heaven. 

All gracious Lord ! whate'er my lot 

In other times may be, 
I'll welcome still the heaviest grief 

That brings me nearer thee. 



All Scripture is given hy inspiration of Grod, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for rejoroof for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness ; that the man of Crod may 
he perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 
—2 Tim. iii. 16, IT. 



It is stated by Ellis, in his Polynesian Researches, 
that at Afarcaitu he has frequently seen thirty or forty 
canoes, from distant parts of Eimo, or some other 
island, in which perhaps five or six persons had 
arrived, whose only errand was to procure copies of 
the Scriptures ; many waiting for five or six weeks 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 177 

until they were printed. Sometimes a canoe would 
arrive, with six or ten persons, for books, bringing a 
large bundle of letters, perhaps thirty or forty, writ- 
ten on plantain leaves, and rolled up like a scroll; 
these letters having been written by individuals who 
were unable to come and apply personally, and had 
therefore sent, in order to obtain a copy. One evening 
a canoe arrived from Tahiti, with five men on this 
errand ; and because they could not be supplied till 
morning, they rested on the ground near the house, 
lest some one should get supplied before them. After 
they were severally supplied, and copies given for the 
mother of one, and sister of another, for which they 
had brought payment in cocoa-nut oil, each wrapped 
his book in a piece of white native cloth, put it in his 
bosom, wished good morning, and hastening to the 
beach, launched their canoe, hoisted their matting sail, 
and steered, rejoicing, to their native land. 



The sower sowetJi the word. — Mark, iv. 14. 
Sow in the morn thy seed ; 
At eve hold not thy hand 
To doubt and fear give thou no heed, 
Broad-cast it round the land. 

Beside all waters sow, 

The highway furrows stock ; 
Drop it where thorns and thistles grow, 

Scatter it on the rock. 

The good, the fruitful ground, 

Expect not here nor there ; 
O'er hill and dale, by plots, 'tis found ; — 

Go forth, then, everywhere. 



178 GLEANINGS FROM 

Thou know'st not which may thrive 

The late or early sown : 
Grace keeps the precious germ alive, 

When and wherever strown. 

And duly shall appear. 

In verdure, beauty, strength, 

The tender blade, the stalk, the ear, 
And the full corn at length. 

Thou canst not toil in vain ; 

Cold, heat, and moist, and dry, 
Shall foster and mature the grain, 

For garners in the sky. 

Thence, when the glorious end. 

The day of God, is come. 
The angel-reapers shall descend, 

And heaven sing, "Harvest Home !" 



The Tahitian Parliament. — It is noted by Bennet 
and Tyerman, that during the eight days these extra- 
ordinary people sat in discussion, two speakers were 
never on their legs at the same time, and that an 
angry word was not once uttered. One of the sub- 
jects related to the question of death or banishment 
for murder. Hitoti thought that, receiving so much 
good from England, the'y ought to do as England did. 
Utami thought this was going too far ; he might be 
wrong, but this was his thought. Upuparu considered 
that Scripture authority, not English precedent, ought 
to guide them. A lively interchange of looks through 
the assembly denoted that it was penetrated with these 
sentiments. Tati next gave as a reason why he 



PIOUS AUTHOKS. 179 

held his peace so long, that he thought he might gather 
what had been growing in the breasts of his brethren : 
he was glad he had waited, because some thoughts had 
grown in his own breast, which he did not bring with 
him. He wished some one to show him the guide in 
the New Testament which authorizes the taking life 
for life. Pati next expresses that his breast is full of 
thought, and surprise, and delight, in the circumstance 
of their taking sweet counsel together : thinking Tati 
has settled the question, for ^s not the Qospel our 
guide ? 

One of the little men, a commoner, or representative 
of a district, next presented himself, thinking, as no 
one else stood up, he would make his little speech, 
several pleasant thoughts having been growing in his 
breast, and all were allowed to throw their thoughts 
together, so that out of the whole the meeting might 
make those stand upright which were best, whenceso- 
ever they came. His thought was, that the offender 
being sent to a desolate island, and compelled to think 
for himself, it might please God to make the bad things 
of his heart to die, and good things to grow there. 
"But if we kill him," said he, "where will his soul 
go?" The law was made for banishment, not death. 



Your fathers, where are they f and the prophets, 
do they live for ever ^ — Zech. i. 5. 

Who can view the stately pillars gone, 



Those firm supports of virtue's weighty dome, 
And not unite in tributary tears ? 

Ye rising youth, the hope of future times, 

You who have felt the cords of heavenly love 



180 GLEANINGS FKOM 

To draw and disengage you from the world, 
Keep near that quick'ning, vivifying power, 
Which freed from bondage Israel's favour'd sons : 
So shall you grow to glad parental care, 
And stand as warriors in defence of truth. 
On you the important cause must soon devolve ; 
Oh ! be you faithful, upright, and sincere. — 

Mourn not for us; the living claim your tears; 
Weep for the dead in trespasses and sin : 
Tread the same steps that centred us in bliss ; 
By good example call to the supine ; 
The young encourage, animate the weak, 
Comfort the mourner, strengthen those who faint ; 
That Sion thus may shake herself, and shine 
With the bright lustre of her ancient days. 



It is a blessed state of heart to wait upon God con- 
tinually in the spirit of humble, fervent, believing 
prayer. Satan well knows the value of such a spirit, 
and therefore tries hard to prevent its exercise. He 
labours to extinguish this sacred fire, kindled in the 
soul by the Holy Ghost. He endeavours to disturb 
the mind, to ride upon the wings of the imagination, 
and to fill the soul with an endless succession of fleet- 
ing images : this daily irruption of the enemy consti* 
tutes no small part of the Christian warfare. 



\ 1 often say my prayers. 
But do I ever pray ? 
Or do the wishes of my heart 
Dictate the words I say ? 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 181 

'Tis useless to implore, 

Unless I feel the need, 
Unless 'tis from a sense of want 

That all my prayers proceed. 

I may as well kneel down, 

And worship wood and stone, 
As offer to the living God 

A prayer of words alone. 

Lord ! teach me what I want. 

And teach me how to pray ; 
Nor let me e'er implore thy graie. 

Not feeling what I say. 



The wisdom of man lies not in satirizing the vices 
of others, but in correcting his own. 

Those qualities that dispose us to make a right use 
of the knowledge of mankind, contribute at the same 
time to increase that knowledge. The heart which is 
merely selfish does not understand the language of 
benevolence, disinterestedness, and generosity, and 
therefore is very liable to misinterpret it ; while those 
who feel themselves capable of great and worthy 
actions, will find no difiiculty in believing that others 
may do so too, and will have an idea of a character 
which can hardly ever be perfectly understood by those 
who find nothing like it in themselves. 



" There are diversities of operations, but it is the 
same God, who worketh all in all." Some believers 
are remarkable for the strength of their faith in trials 
even unto death ; others for their liveliness and acti- 
vity in duty ; others for their wisdom, conduct, and 
16 



182 GLEANINGS FROM 

prudence both in temporals and spirituals ; others for 
their zeal in defence of the truth; others for their 
patience, meekness, and gentleness ; others for their 
submission to the will of God ; others for outward use- 
fulness in the church ; and others for an inward and 
spiritual life of communion with God. But all these 
are the various gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, 
" dividing to every man severally as he will," and not 
to the talents or abilities of fallen nature. They are 
also given to every man who hath them, to profit withal, 
according to his place in the church, or in the world. 
He who hath one of these graces, should not under- 
value or despise him who hath another ; for the giver 
is the same, though his gifts may be granted for dif- 
ferent ends. 



Where integrity, love of truth, and devotedness to 
God shine conspicuously, it ill becomes poor frail men 
to arraign one another for little supposed discrepan- 
cies in things of smaller moment ; the result of a bias 
referable to education and outward circumstances. 



"Would that the films of error were allow' d 

But by the vulgar worldling, or the proud ! 

But this distemper of the moral eye 

Never affects it more inveterately 

Than when the false of prejudice's view 

Is intermingled with a little true. 

And hence, the conscientious and sincere. 

Who know essential truth, and hold it dear, 

If education (as she doubtless can) 

Have form'd their souls upon the narrow plan, 

Permit no motion from its nook to stir ; 

Most obstinate] v certain \Yhere they err. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 183 

Thus are opinions, as receiv'd in youth, 
Wedg'd down immovably with slips of truth ; 
Assur'd of part, they deem the whole is right: 
And what astonishment it would excite, 
Should any have the boldness to allege, 
That all is rubbish but the golden wedge. 



Religious professors can talk in a notional way, and 
in the words of Scripture, about their knowledge of 
God ; hut few understand, or will bear to undergo, the 
humbling and down-breaking exercises, whereby alone 
this precious knowledge can be obtained. " right- 
eous Father,'' says the dear Redeemer, " the world 
hath not known thee : but I have known thee." And 
what is it to know God, He tells us in the same divine 
outpouring of his soul. '^ And this," he says, ''is life 
eternal, that they might knotu thee the only true God, 
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." 



It is said of the well-known Richard Cecil, that 
while he was at college, he had many deep and secret 
conflicts of mind, and had to meet with many insults 
which profligate men offer to piety : and that, under 
these trials, he was one day walking in the Physic Gar- 
dens, where he observed a very fine pomegranate tree, 
cut almost through the stem, near the lOOt. " Sir," 
said the gardener, on his inquiring the reason, " this 
tree used to shoot so strong thdt it bore nothing but 
leaves. I was therefore obliged to cut it in this man- 
ner; and when it was almost cut through, then it began 
to bear plenty of fruit." This explanation afi'ording a 
striking illustration to his mind, he went home com- 
forted and instructed ; saying, he had learned more in 



184 GLEANINGS FROM 

these circumstances than from all the books he ever 
read ^^Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.*' 



For all I bless thee : most for the severe. 



Might I but live in the fervent love of God, what 
matter is it in what country, or what cottage, or what 
prison, I live ? 

— — There are who know a Saviour's love 



The long-lost joys of Eden can restore, 
And raise their views to happier seats above. 

Where fear, and pain, and death, shall be no more. 

^ ;i< Hi ^ :}« 

For them e'en vernal nature looks more gay ; 

For them more lively hues the fields adorn ; 
To them more fair the fairest smile of day ; 

To them more sweet the sweetest breath of morn. 
They feel the bliss that faith and hope supply ; 

They pass serene th' appointed hours that bring 
The day that wafts them to the realms on high, 

The day that centres in eternal spring. 



In the measure we advance in grace, so shall we 
sink in our own esteem. 



If all be well within, nothing can hurt us without. 



He that prays despairs not. 



A wealthy grazier, in Rutlandshire, was, at the age 
of eighty, deeply impressed with the importance of 
Gospel truths. Being subsequently confined to his 
bed from infirmities, his friend who visited him, ob- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 185 

served the tears running down his cheeks, while with 
the tenderness of a little child, he spoke of the hard- 
ness of his heart. On being asked his age, he replied, 
"Little more than two years old, for I can only reckon 
since I knew the Lord Jesus ; the fourscore years be- 
fore were but a life of death." At eighty-four he de- 
parted, full of faith and hope ; entering, it was believed, 
as at the eleventh hour, into the joy of his Lord. 



He lives who lives to God alone. 

And all are dead beside ; 
For other source than God is none, 
Whence life can be supplied. 



While the Christian may have to encounter many 
difficulties, he may partake of many pleasures ; plea- 
sures which are as much superior to the sickly joys of 
sensual things, as the living spring is purer than the 
green waters of a stagnant pool. 



The hill of Zion yields 

A thousand sacred sweets ; 

Before we reach the heavenly fields, 
Or walk the golden streets. 



The more we abound in God's work, the more com- 
fort we may expect in him : if the day has been busy 
for him, the night shall be easy in him. 



There is nothing that is able to appease the trouble 
of a wounded conscience, but the mercy of God in 
Christ Jesus. 



16* 



186 GLEANINGS FROM 

How blest thy creature is, God, 

When with a single eye 
He views the lustre of thy word, 

The day-spring from on high ! 
Through all the storms that veil the skies, 

And frown on earthly things, 
The Sun of Righteousness he eyes, 

With healing in his wings. 
Struck by that light, the human heart, 

A barren soil no more, 
Sends the sweet smell of grace abroad, 

Where serpents lurk'd before. 
The soul, a dreary province once 

Of Satan's dark domain, 
Feels a new empire form'd within. 

And owns a heavenly reign. 
The glorious orb, whose golden beams 

The fruitful year control. 
Since first, obedient to thy word. 

He started from the goal. 
Has cheer'd the nation with the joys 

His orient beams impart : — 
But, Jesus ! 'tis thy light alone 

Can shine upon the heart. 



The remembrance of past mercies is an encourage- 
ment to trust in God in future trials. 



The spring-time of our years 



Is soon dishonoured and defil'd in most. 
By budding ills, that ask a prudent hand 
To check them. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 187 

With all thy getting, get understanding.- — Prov. 
iv.7. 



Truths that the learn'd pursue with eager thought, 
Are not important always as dear bought ; 
Proving, at last, though told in pompous strains, 
A childish waste of philosophic pains : 
But truths on which depend our main concern, 
That 'tis our shame and misery not to learn. 
Shine by the side of ev'ry path we tread. 
With such a lustre, he that runs may read. 



King Solomon, at one period of his life, flattered 
himself with great enjoyments from the world. He 
sought for and obtained all the means of pleasure, but 
found himself in the end, greatly disappointed. The 
result of this search and experiment, he gives us in 
these memorable lines: "I said to my heart, I will 
prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure : and, 
behold ! this also is vanity. I made great works, built 
houses, planted vineyards, made gardens and orchards, 
and planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits. I pro- 
cured servants and maidens ; I gathered silver and 
gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings. I obtained 
men and women singers, and the delights of the sons 
of men, as musical instruments, and those of all sorts. 
So I was great, and increased more than all that were 
before me in Jerusalem ; and whatever my eyes de- 
sired, I kept not from them ; I withheld not my heart 
from any joy. Then I looked on the works which my 
hands had wrought ; and, behold ! all was vanity and 
vexation of spirit." 



188 GLEANINGS FROM 

The path of sorrow, and that path alone, 
Leads to the land where sorrow is unknown : 
No traveller ever reached that blest abode, 
Who found not thorns and briars on his road. 



Good when he gives — supremely good. 

Nor less when he denies : 
E'en crosses from his sov'reign hand 

Are blessings in disguise. 



Friendship's a pure, a heaven-descended flame, 
"Worthy the happy region whence it came ; 

The tender tie that virtuous spirits binds. 
The golden chain that links immortal minds. 



Solitude and stillness render the night-watches a 
fit season for meditation on the so-often experienced 
mercies of God, which, when thus called to remem- 
brance, become a delicious repast to the spirit, filling 
it with all joy, and peace, and consolation, giving songs 
in the night, and making darkness itself cheerful. 

And, 0, permit the gloom of solemn night. 
To sacred thought may forcibly invite ; 
When this world's shut, and awful planets rise, 
Call on our minds, and raise them to the skies. 



It requires some exercise of sympathetic feeling to 
minister to sorrows we have never felt, to pains we 
have never endured. 



Teach me to feel another's woe. 
To hide the faults I see; 

That mercy I to others show 
That mercy show to me. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 189 

Dr. Johnson's friend, Boswell, remarked, that, 
" things are done on the supposition of happiness ; 
grand houses built, fine gardens made, splendid places 
of amusement contrived, and crowded with company." 
"Alas! sir," replied the great moralist, "these are 
only struggles for happiness. When I first entered 
Ranelagh, it gave an expansion and gay sensation to 
my mind, such as I never experienced any where else. 
But as Xerxes wept, when he viewed his immense 
army, and considered, that not one of that great mul- 
titude would be alive a hundred years afterwards, so 
it went to my heart to consider, that there was not one 
in all that brilliant circle that was not afraid to go 
home and think ; but that the thoughts of each indi 
vidual there would be distressing when alone." 



Oh, the dark days of vanity ! while here 
How tasteless, and how terrible when gone ! 



Not happiness herself makes good her name ; 
Our very wishes give us not our wish. 

When the prosperous fool says, " Soul, take thine 
ease, thou hast much goods laid up for thee ;" the 
prosperous Christian says, " Soul, tremble at thine 
ease — be on thy guard. Thou hast, indeed, much 
goods laid up for thee, but it is in a future world. 
Lose not a large inheritance for a paltry possession ; 
forfeit not an unalienable reversion for a life interest — 
a life which this very night may be required of thee." 



Canst thou by faith, survey with joy 

The change before it come ? 
And say, "Let death this house destroy, 

I have a heav'nly home ?" 



190 GLEANINGS moM 

The Saviour, -wliom I then shall see 
With new admiring eyes, 

Already has prepar'd for me 
A mansion in the skies. 



A soft and delicate life will give force to tempta- 
tions, -which might easily be subdued by one who had 
habituated himself to "endure hardness, as a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ." It also produces an attach- 
ment to this world, and an unwillingness to leave it ; 
which ill becomes those who are strangers and pilgrims 
on earth, and who expect so soon to be called away to 
that " better country," which they profess to seek. 



Should Providence profusely pour 
Its various blessings on my store ; 
Oh, keep me from the ills that wait 
On such a seeming prosp'rous state : 
From hurtful passions set me free, 
And humbly may I walk with thee. 

When each day's scenes and labours close, 
And wearied nature seeks repose, 
With pard'ning mercy richly blest, 
Guard me, my Saviour, while I rest : 
And, as each morning's sun shall rise, 
Oh, lead me onward to the skies. 



A sufferer said, after six years of pain and confine- 
ment to her bed: "I longed to go to heaven, that I 
might be happy, but the Lord has brought heaven down 
to my bed; for I am so happy, so full of his presence." 



PIOUS AUTHOKS. 191 

If such the views which grace unfolds, 

Weak as it is below, 
What raptures must the church above 

In Jesus' presence, know ! 

If such the sweetness of the stream. 

What must the fountain be. 
Where saints and angels draw their bliss 

Immediately from Thee ! 



Love endureth all things. — Sacrifices of ease, of time, 
of feeling, and of property, must all be endured : for 
it is impossible to exercise Christian charity without 
making these. He that would do good to others, with- 
out practising self-denial, does but dream. The way 
of philanthropy is ever up-hill, and not unfrequently 
over rugged rocks, and through thorny paths. If we 
would promote the happiness of our fellow-creatures, 
it must be by parting with something or other that is 
dear to us. If we would lay aside revenge, when they 
have injured us, and exercise forgiveness, we must 
often mortify our own feelings. If we would reconcile 
the differences of those who are at variance, we must 
give up our time, and sometimes our comfort. If we 
would assuage their griefs, we must expend our prop- 
erty. If we would reform their wickedness, we must 
part with our ease. If we would, in short, do good of 
any kind, we must be willing to deny ourselves, and bear 
labour of body and pain of mind. And love is willing 
to do this ; it braces itself for labour, arms itself for 
conflict, prepares itself for suffering : it looks difficulties 
in the face, counts the cost, and exclaims, " None of 
these things move me, so that I may diminish the evils, 



192 GLEANINGS FROM 

and promote the happiness of others !" It will rise 
before the break of day, linger on the field of labour till 
midnight, toil amidst the sultry heat of summer, brave 
the northern blasts of winter, submit to derision, give 
the energies of the body and the comfort of mind ; all 
to do good. 

Love is kind. 



Check thyself, vain man, that with the ardour of a 
diseased fancy dost pursue fleeting shadows ! Love 
substances, and hear what Boethius tells thee : — 
"He that seeks a glorious prize, 
Thinking that the top of all. 
Let him view th' expanded skies. 

And the earth's contracted ball : 
Then blush, to think that glory's plan 
Is bounded by the breath of man." 



Humility is so essential to the right state of our 
souls, that there is no pretending to a reasonable or 
pious life without it. We may as well think to see 
without eyes, or live without breath, as to live in the 
spirit of religion, without the spirit of humility. 

If God had required great strength, extraordinary 
abilities, and stoutness of men, then the greatest part 
had perished, because of weakness of temper : but he 
rather chooseth the weak things of the world, to con- 
found the strong. 

Let us but remember, that when we shall come to 
die, and our souls sit, as it were, hovering upon our 
lips, ready to take their flight, at how great a rate we 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 193 

would then be willing to purchase some of those hours 
we once trifled away, but we cannot. 



The companions of an amiable youth attempted to 
console him on the loss of a most affectionate parent, 
by reminding him that he had always behaved to the 
deceased with duty, tenderness, and respect. " So 
thought I," replied the youth, '' while my parent was 
living: but now I recollect, with pain and sorrow, 
many instances of disobedience and neglect, for which, 
alas! it is too late to make atonement." 

Surely, each remembered word, 

Surely, the advice he gave. 
Comes again upon me ; heard 

Like a whisper from the grave. 



Instead of the flattering compliment which Garrick 
expected from Dr. Johnson, on the exhibition of his 
fine house, gardens, statues, pictures, &c., at Hampton 
Court, "Ah ! David, David," said the Doctor, "these 
are the things which make a death-bed terrible." 



Say, ye who love the mountain-top to tread, 
Though with insulting sweep ye pass me by, 
Though you're exalted far above my head, 
Are you in aught more fully blessed than I ? 

Strive to recommend religion by the courtesy, 
civility, and condescending character of thy conduct. 

The trouble which we think will swallow us up, may 
be a means to bring us to our haven ; so mighty is 
God in power, and, so "excellent in working." 

17 



194 GLEANINGS FROM 

God moves in a mysterious way, 
His wonders to perform ; 

He plants his footsteps in the sea, 
And rides upon the storm. 



From the flame's refining power, 
More pure the gold of Ophir flows ; 

From affliction's fiery hour, 

More bright the Christian's virtue glows. 



(Cecil.) — I have long adopted an expedient, which 
I have found of singular service. I have a shelf in my 
study, for tried authors ; and one in my mind, for tried 
principles and characters. When an author has stood 
a thorough examination, and will bear to be taken as 
a guide, I put him on the shelf. When I have more 
fully made up my mind on a principle, I put it on the 
shelf. A hundred subtle objections may be brought 
against this principle ; I may meet with some of them, 
perhaps; but my principle is on the shelf. Generally, 
I may be able to recall the reasons which weighed with 
me to put it there ; but, if not, I am not to be sent 
out to sea again. Time was, when I saw through and 
detected all the subtleties that could be brought against 
it; I have past evidence of having been fully con- 
vinced : and there on the shelf it shall lie. When I 
have turned a character over and over, on all sides, 
and seen it through and through, in all situations, I 
put it on the shelf. There may be conduct in the per- 
son which may stumble others ; there may be great 
inconsistencies ; there may be strange and unaccoun^ 
able turns ; but I have put that character on the shelf: 
difiiculties will all be cleared up; every thing will come 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 195 

round again. I should be much chagrined, indeed, to 
be obliged to take a character down which I had once 
put up : but that has never been the case with me yet; 
and the best guard against it, is — not to be too hasty 
in putting them there. 

(Chaeles Simeon.) — In his sixtieth year he says : 
" I see many things in a diflferent light to what I onco 
did — such as the beauty of order, of regularity, and 
the wisdom of seeking to win souls by kindness, rather 
than to convert them by harshness, and what I once 
called fidelity. I admire more the idea which I have 
of our blessed Lord's spirit and ministry than I once 
did." 

Something having been told him to the disadvan- 
tage of another, he makes the following entry in his 
diary: "The longer I live, the more I feel the import- 
ance of adhering to the rules which I have laid down 
for myself in relation to such matters. — 1st. To hear 
as little as possible what is to the prejudice of others. 
2nd. To believe nothing of the kind until I am abso- 
lutely forced to it. 3rd. Never to drink into the spirit 
of one who circulates an ill report. 4th. Always to 
moderate, as far as I can, the unkindness which is ex- 
pressed towards others. 5th. Always to believe that 
if the other side were heard, a very different account 
w^ould be given of the matter. I consider love as 
wealth ; and as I would resist a man who should come 
to rob my house, so would I a man who would weaken 
my regard for any human being." 

" My blessed Lord," he writes on another occasion, 
'' wnen he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he 
suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to 



196 GLEANINGS FROM 

him who judgeth righteously.' That seems the right 
thing for me to do, though some perhaps would think 
it better for me to stand up for my rights. But to all 
the accusations which were brought against him, our 
Lord made no reply, ^'insomuch that the governor 
marvelled greatly'' I delight in that record; and 
God helping me, it is the labour of my life so to act, 
that on my account also, the governor or spectator 
may marvel greatly. My experience all this day has 
been, and I hope will yet continue to be a confirmation 
of that word, " Thou wilt hide me in the secret of thy 
presence from the strife of tongues." Insult an angel 
before the throne, and what would he care about it ? 
Just such will be my feeling whilst I am hid in the 
secret of my Redeemer's presence." 

Worldly persons seem to have little sense of the 
magnitude of the blessings they enjoy. 

Blessed is he that considereth the 2^oor: the Lord 
will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will 
strengthen him upon the led of languishing : thou wilt 
make all his led in his sickness. Psalm xli. 1, 3. 



Say ye, oppress'd by some fantastic woes. 
Some jarring nerve that baffles your repose ; 
Who press the downy couch, while slaves advance 
With timid eye to read the distant glance ; 
Who with sad pray'rs the weary doctor tease, 
To name the nameless ever new disease ; 
Who with mock patience, dire complaints endure, 
Which real pain, and that alone can cure ; 
How would you bear in real pain to lie, 
Despis'd, neglected, left alone to die ? 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 197 

How would you bear to draw your latest breath, 
Where all that's wretched paves the way for death? 

He is the freeman, whom the truth makes free, 
And all are slaves beside 

He looks abroad into the varied field 
Of nature, and though poor, perhaps, compared 
With those whose mansions glitter in his sight, 
Calls the delightful scenery all his own. 
His are the mountains, and the valleys his, 
And the resplendent rivers. His t' enjoy, 
With a propriety that none can feel. 
But who, with filial confidence inspir'd, 
Can lift to Heav'n an unpresumptuous eye, 
And smiling say — "My Father made them all !" 
Are they not his by a peculiar right. 
And by an emphasis of int'rest his. 
Whose eyes they fill with tears of holy joy. 
Whose heart with praise, and whose exalted mind 
With weary thoughts of that unwearied love. 
That plann'd, and built, and still upholds a world 
So cloth'd with beauty for rebellious man ? 



Acquaint thyself with God, if thou wouldst taste 
His works. Admitted once to his embrace, 
Thou shalt perceive that thou wast blind before : 
Thine eye shall be instructed ; and thine heart 
Made pure, shall relish, with divine delight 
Till then unfelt, what hands Divine have wrought. 



Floods and conflagrations, famines and pestilence, 
and earthquakes, and battles, leave the most crowded 
and social scenes, silent. The human race resembles 
17* 



198 GLEANINGS FROM 

the withered foliage of a wide forest ; while the air is 
calm, we perceive single leaves, scattering here and 
there, from the branches ; but sometimes a tempest or 
"whirlwind precipitates thousands in a moment. 

"We've no abiding city here !" 
This may distress the worldling's mind ; 
Eut should not cost the saint a tear, 
Who hopes a better rest to find. 

As there is no end to the loving-kindness of Jeho- 
vah, so there should be none to our gratitude. 



When all thy mercies, my God ! 

My rising soul surveys. 
Transported by the view, I'm lost 

In wonder, love, and praise. 

Oh, how shall words, with equal warmth, 

The gratitude declare, 
That glows within my ravish'd heart ! 

But thou canst read it there. 



In all affliction seek for patience rather than com* 
fort ; if thou preserve that, this will soon return. 

Ye good distrest ! 



Ye noble few ! who here unbending stand 
Beneath life's pressure, yet bear up awhile ; 
And what your bounded view, which only saw 
A little part, deem'd evil, is no more; 
The storms of wintry time will quickly pass, 
And one unbounded spring encircle all. 

"I bless thee, God, for many things," says Beza, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 199 

in his will and testament ; " but especially that I gave 
up myself to thee at the early age of sixteen." 

The flower when offered in the bud, 
Is no mean sacrifice. 



We talk of happiness ! Can anything equal the 

state of those who can humbly and confidently say, 
" Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have access 
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice 
in hope of the glory of God." Many are in adversity 
and tribulation ; and yet have no such prospect. All 
is fighting against them, and they have no refuge. 
Their thoughts are broken off; even the purposes of 
their hearts, and their earthly schemes laid desolate ; 
yet they have nothing better before them : yea, con- 
science tells them, this is only the beginning of sor- 
rows ; the short preface to a long roll, written within 
and without, with lamentation, and mourning, and woe. 
But to the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. 
He sees the storm beginning to clear up, and he knows 
that no cloud shall return after the rain. " I reckon," 
s:iys he, " that the sufferings of the present time, are 
not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall 
be revealed in us." Soon want will be followed with 
fulness ; soon the wormwood and the gall will be suc- 
ceeded by the cup of salvation. 

Yet a season, and we know 

Happy entrance shall be given ; 

All our sorrows left below. 

And earth exchanged for heaven. 



200 GLEANINGS FROM 

To mention anything that is sacred with levity is a 
certain mark of a depraved heart, and weak under- 
standing. A witty sneer or sarcasm, on such subjects, 
is a species of sacrilege, and shocks all the sensible 
and better part of mankind. 



A Christian's wit is inoffensive light, 

A beam that aids, but never grieves the sight ; 

Vig'rous in age as in the flush of youth, 

'Tis always active on the side of truth : 

Temp'rance and peace insure its healthful state, 

And make it brightest at its latest date. 

Oh, I have seen (nor hope perhaps in vain, 

Ere life go down, to see such sights again) 

A vet'ran warrior in the Christian field, 

Who never saw the sword he could not wield; 

Grave without dullness, learned without pride. 

Exact, yet not precise, though meek, keen-eyed; 

A man that would have foil'd, at their own play, 

A dozen would-bes of the modern day ; 

Who, when occasion justified its use. 

Had wit as bright, as ready to produce ; 

Could fetch from records of an earlier age, 

Or from philosophy's enlighten'd page. 

His rich materials, and regale your ear 

With strains it was a privilege to hear : 

Yet, above all his luxury supreme, 

And his chief glory, was the Gospel theme ; 

There he was copious as old Greece or Rome, 

His happy eloquence seem'd there at home ; 

Ambitious not to shine or to excel. 

But to treat justly what he lov'd so well. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 201 

It moves me more perhaps than folly ought, 
When some green heads, as void of wit as thought, 
Suppose themselves monopolists of sense, 
And wiser men's ability, pretence. 
Though time will wear us, and we must grow old. 
Such men are not forgot as soon as cold ; 
Their fragrant mem'ry will outlast their tomb, 
Embalm'd for ever in its own perfume. 



George Villers, Duke of Buckingham, a very dis- 
tinguished person in the reign of Charles II., was de- 
scribed, by the Earl of Clarendon, as a " man of noble 
presence, great liveliness of wit, with a faculty of turn- 
ing serious things into ridicule ; having no principles 
of religion, virtue, or friendship ; pleasure, frolic, and 
extravagant diversion being all he regarded ;" his no- 
ble fortune was sacrificed to his evil habits, and he 
became contemptible, and poor, and sickly, and sunk 
in all respects. At length, when near his end, and 
mournfully looking over his life of folly, he addressed 
a letter to his particular friend. Dr. Barrow, from 
which the following affecting sentences are extracted: 
" How despicable, my dear friend, is that man who 
never prays to his God, but in the time of distress ! 
In what manner can he supplicate that Omnipotent 
Being in his afflictions, whom, in the time of his pros- 
perity, he never remembered with reverence ? Do not 
brand me with infidelity, when I tell you that I am 
almost ashamed to offer up my petitions at the throne 
of grace, or to implore that divine mercy in the next 

world which I have scandalously abused in this." 

" From my rank, I might have expected affluence to 
wait upon my life; from religion and understanding, 



202 GLEANINGS FKOM 

peace to smile upon mj end : instead of which I am 
afflicted with poverty, and haunted with remorse ; des- 
pised by my country, and, I fear, forsaken by my 
God !"* 



Alas ! how chang'd ! expressive of his mind, 
His eyes are sunk, arms folded, head reclin'd ; 
Those awful syllables, hell, death, and sin, 
Though whisper'd, plainly tells what works within; 
That conscience there performs her proper part, 
And writes a doomsday-sentence on his heart ; 
Forsaking, and forsaken of all friends, 
He now perceives where earthly pleasure ends. 



The learned and pious Richard Hooker, expressed 
as follows, a short time before his end : '' I have lived 
to see that this v/orld is full of perturbations ; and I 
have been long preparing to leave it, and gathering 
comfort for the awful hour of making up my account 
with God, which I now apprehend to be near. And 
though I have, by his grace, loved him in youth, and 
feared him in my age, and laboured to have a con- 
science void of offence towards him, and towards all 
men ; yet, if thou. Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark 
what I have done amiss, how shall I abide it ! Where 
I have failed, Lord, show mercy to me ! for I plead 
not my righteousness, but the forgiveness of my un- 
righteousness, through His merits who died to pur- 
chase pardon for penitent sinners. And since I owe 

* Pope says of this licentious nobleman, that though pos- 
eessed once of nearly fifty thousand pounds per annum, he waa 
reduced to the deepest distress, hy his vice and extravagance, 
breathing his last moments in a mean apartment, at an inn. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 203 

thee a death, Lord, let it not be terrible, and then 
choose thine own time ; I submit to it. Let not mine, 
Lord, but thy will be done !" At another time, he 
said, " God hath heard my daily petition : for I am 
at peace with all men, and he is at peace with me. 
From this blessed assurance I feel that inward joy 
which the world can neither give nor take from me. 
My conscience beareth me this witness : and this wit- 
ness makes the thoughts of death joyful. — I could wish 
to live, to do the church more service ; but I cannot 
hope it ; for my days are past, as a shadow that re- 
turns not." 



Such joy, though far transcending sense, 
Have pious souls at parting hence ! 

:^ ^ ^ :^ ^ 

But when their chains are cast aside, 
See the bright scene unfolding wide, 
Clap the glad wing, and tower away, 
And mingle with the blaze of day ! 



There is nothing substantial and satisfactory but the 
supreme good : in it, the deeper we go, and the more 
largely we drink, the better and happier we are ; 
whereas, in outward acquirements, if we would attain 
to the summit and perfection of them, the very pos- 
session and enjoyment palls. 



Thou art the source and centre of all minds, 
Their only point of rest. Eternal Word ! 
From thee departing, they are lost, and rove 
At random, without honour, hope, or peace : 
From thee is all that soothes the life of man, 



204 GLEANINGS FROM PIOUS AUTHORS. 

His high endeavour and his glad success, 
His strength to suffer, and his will to serve. 
But, 0, thou bounteous Giver of all good, 
Thou art of all thy gifts thyself the Crown ! 
Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor; 
And with thee rich, take what thou wilt away. 



Jt|6 S^S*Sej). 



The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. — 
Psalm xxxiii. 5. A life of self-denial and inward com- 
munion with God does not preclude a proper and rea- 
sonable investigation of his works : on the contrary, 
it stimulates to a search and admiration of everything 
which bears the stamp of a Divine hand ; and to such 
a soul the print of his footsteps is perpetually disco- 
verable. 



To Thee my thoughts 

Continual climb ; who with a master hand 
Hast the great whole into perfection touch'd. 



Cheerfulness is a medium betwixt levity and gloomi- 
ness. It is compatible with seriousness ; and its purest 
and most permanent source is an humble consideration 
of the many favours and blessings which we enjoy 
from the Divine hand. An inward cheerfulness is an 
implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence, under 
all his dispensations. 



Never man was truly blest 

But it composed, and gave him such a cast 
As folly might mistake for want of joy : 
A cast unlike the triumph of the proud ; 
A modest aspect, and a smile at heart. 
18 (205) 



206 GLEANINGS FROM 

The pleasure of a well-regulated mind moves gently, 
and therefore constantly. It does not affect by rap- 
ture and ecstacy, but is like the pleasure of health, 
still and sober, yet greater and stronger than those 
■which call up the senses with grosser impressions. 



Many of the trials of good men look like miseries, 
which yet, on the whole, appear to have conduced 
greatly to their happiness: witness the many prayers 
which they poured out in those calamities, the many 
seasonable and shining deliverances which succeeded 
them, and the many hymns of praise they sang to God 
their deliverer ; so that they seem to have been cast 
into the fire on purpose that the odour of their graces 
might diffuse itself all abroad. 

He that lives in sin, and expects happiness here- 
after, is like him that soweth cockle, and thinks to fill 
his barn with wheat or barley. 



It is not knowledge, but love, that distinguishes 
saints from sinners. 



Wisdom is the principal thing : therefore get wis- 
dom ; and toith all thy getting^ get understanding. 



Unblest by thee, how poor the proudest strain ! 
Keason perplexes, Genius shines in vain, 
Wit sparkles in the dark, and Learning tries, 
On cobweb steps, to climb into the skies. 



Unfounded prejudices are often imbibed, when a 
little examination into the true bearing of a case would 
prevent our thinking evil of a brother. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 20T 

How many things are there which now give us plea- 
sure or pain, and assume a mighty importance in our 
view, which, in a dying hour, will be no more to us 
than the clouds that fly unnoticed over our heads. 

Thou wilt never be happy, until thou knowest that 
the things of this life are insufficient of themselves to 
make thee so. 



Our portion is not large indeed ! 
But then how little do we need ! 

For nature's calls are few ; 
In this the art of living lies, 
To want no more than may suffice, 

And make that little do. 



This life is a passage, not a port. 



That disposition is opposite to faith which is only to 
be convinced by external evidences. 



As the sails of a ship carry it into harbour, so 
prayer carries us to the throne and bosom of God : but 
as sails cannot of themselves speed the progress of the 
vessel, unless filled with a favourable breeze, so the 
Holy Spirit must breathe upon our hearts, or our 
prayers will be motionless and useless. 



Thou, by whom we come to God ! 

The life, the truth, the way ! 
The path of prayer thyself hast trod ; 

Lord, teach us how to pray I 

Earthly trials or enjoyments are of short continu- 
ance. Death is continually removing those of every 



208 GLEAXIXGS PROM 

age and station ; breaking in upon the most endearing 
unions as soon as formed, and marring all our outward 
comforts. We cannot too decidedly prefer those 
advantages which shall endure for ever, that we may 
be ready for every separating stroke. 



The friendly band no more shall greet 
Accents familiar once, and sweet; 
No more the well-known features trace, 
No more renew the fond embrace. 



Youth, on length of days presuming, 
Who the paths of pleasure tread. 

View us, late in beauty blooming. 
Numbered now among the dead. 



On the tree of life eternal, 

Man, let all thy hopes be stay'd. 

Which alone, for ever vernal, 
Bears a leaf that shall not fade. 



No wise or good man ought to account any rules of 
behaviour as below his regard, which tend to cement 
the great brotherhood of mankind in comfortable union. 

Many live greatly below their privileges. It is com- 
fortless to dwell at a distance from our Father's house, 
when we might enjoy his presence, and the smiles of 
his love. 



Ah ! who can tell the joy 

Which reigns within the breast, 

Where heavenly dews of grace descend. 
And Jesus is the guest. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 209 

It is a vast work that any man may do, if he never 
be idle. 



They that do nothing, are in the ready way to do 
worse than nothing. 



Does thy youthful heart say : — 

"Now, Lord, I would be wholly thine, 
And wholly live to thee : 
But may I hope that thou wilt own 
A worthless worm like me?" 
Place the answer against all thy fears, and sins, and 
unfitness : / love them that love me, and those that 
seek me early shall find me. 



Seek not the praise of men. Dare to be singularly 
good. Regard not the opinion of half-hearted profes- 
sors. In a very little time, it will be of small import- 
ance to thee whether the world hath hated or loved 
thee. 



Who would not deny himself for a time, that he 
might enjoy himself for ever ? 



Thy mercy softens every blast. 
To them that seek thy face, 

And mingles with the tempest's roar, 
The whispers of thy grace. 

Adversity is the time to prove friendship. 

Abundance seldom lessens our wants. 



He that ceases to be useful to others, becomes a 
burden to himself. 

18* 



210 GLEANINGS FROM 

Talent may give title, but title never gives talent. 
The plain names of some men are accompanied with 
more dignity and worth than the premier dukedom of 
the kingdom. 

It is said of Socrates, that whenever he felt himself 
beginning to be angry, he was quite silent. 



Revenge dwells in little minds. 

(Diary of Joseph Williams, op Kidderminster.) 
— The first serious impressions I remember to have 
been made upon my mind, were, when I was about 
seven years old, occasioned by the death of a son of 
James Payton, a boy in another family. My father 
coming into my room, told me who was dead, and very 
seriously discoursed to me on the immortality of the 
soul, the certainty of a state of rewards and punish- 
ments, my own mortality, and liableness every day to 
have such a change pass on me by death. I was 
greatly surprised, and filled with a warm concern for 
the salvation of my soul. It put me on praying with 
greater earnestness than common ; and I was resolved 
to do the will of God, so far as I knew it. 



0, when, thou city of my God ! 

Shall I thy courts ascend. 
Where congregations ne'er break up, 

And sabbaths have no end ? 

There happier hours than Eden's bloom. 

Nor sin nor sorrow know : 
Bless'd seats ! through rude and stormy scenes, 

I onward press to you. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 211 

Why should I shrink at pain and woe ? 

Or feel at death dismay ? 
I've Canaan's goodly land in view, 

And realms of endless day. 

Apostles, martyrs, prophets there 

Around ray Saviour stand ; 
And soon my friends in Christ below 

Will join the glorious band. 



It will cost something to be religious ; it will cost 
more not to be so. 



Defer not till to-morrow to be wise ; 
To-morrow's sun to thee may never rise. 



The brilliancy of the stars is best seen when the 
night is dark. 



In affliction, we obtain clear views of the insufficiency 
of all earthly things. A dark shade is thrown over 
the smiling scenes of busy life ; and we learn to esti- 
mate above all treasures an assured interest in Christ. 



Kind, loving is the hand that strikes, 

However keen the smart, 
If sorrow's discipline can chase 

One evil from the heart. 



Men may go far in external performances of religion, 
and keep long to them, merely by the power of educa- 
tion and the influence of friends, though they are not 
actuated by a living principle of grace in their hearts. 
And in the shows of devotion, it is possible that those 



212 GLEANINGS FROM 

who have only the form of godliness, may outstrip 
those who have the power of it. 



So walk that the parting day may be sweet. Death 
will shortly break up thy family ; and then nothing 
but the sense of duty discharged, or the neglects of it 
pardoned, will give thee comfort. 



The religion of Jesus is without parade ; it affects 
no publicity. It is enough for his servants to believe 
that their heavenly Father, who sees them in secret, 
sees them with an approving eye. 



What we call " taking steps in life," are often most 
serious occurrences ; especially if there be in the mo- 
tive any mixture of ambition. 



There are seasons in the lives of good men, when 
their sense of spiritual things is comparatively dull; 
and many at these times have been alarmed with an 
idea of being totally divested of the Spirit, and have 
fallen into a state of despondency ; but if there were 
no other proof that the grace of God is still vouchsafed 
to them, their uneasiness alone would evince it. 



But, 0, when gloomy doubts prevail, 

I fear to call thee mine ; 
The springs of comfort seem to fail, 

And all my hopes decline. 

Yet, gracious God, where shall I flee ? 

Thou art my only trust : 
And still my soul would cleave to Thee, 

Though prostrate in the dust. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 213 

The reason why so little good is done by professing 
Christians may be owing to their own defect of char- 
acter ; to the want of that purity of heart from whence 
all holiness proceeds. When we read the Acts of the 
Apostles, and the Epistles which they wrote to the 
several churches, we cannot but be struck with the 
spirituality of mind, the purity of heart, the simplicity 
of spirit, the contempt of the world, the patience under 
suffering, the love of the brethren, the dependence on 
the Saviour, which appeared so conspicuous in the 
primitive believers, and which caused them to shine as 
lights in the world. All who beheld them were con- 
strained to confess, that they were not as other men. 
They saw the change, and persecuted them for it. But 
now, the shades of difference between many professors 
of Christianity and the men of the world are so faint, 
that it often becomes difficult to discover the line of 
separation. 

Is heaven so sweet? Is heaven so sure? 
A bliss which ever shall endure ? 
Then, truly, madness hath possest 
The souls that slight this heavenly rest ! 



If any book of mere human composition, be it ever 
so instructive, is found to command more of our inter- 
est and attention than the Bible, we should, like Henry 
Martyn, throw it aside, and re-peruse the sacred 
volume, until we give it, in our hearts, its legitimate 
prominence and superiority. 



(Memoir of Shackleton.) — ''When but five years 
old, his heart experienced the touches of Divine love; 
and he sometimes withdrew to a retired spot, where he 



214 GLEANINGS FROM 

poured out his soul in prayer, and was permitted to 
approach Him who said, Suffer little children to come 
unto me. Often did he look back upon this time, and 
the scene of these early aspirations, which seemed hal- 
lowed in his view. It was a precious period of his life 
when he was led to enter into covenant with his 
Maker ; when he walked out alone with his Bible, and 
poured out his prayers and his tears, being favoured 
with that heavenly feeling which surpasses every other 
enjoyment." 



Give me, Lord, thy early grace, 
Nor let my soul complain, 

That the young morning of my days 
Has all been spent in vain. 



(Matthets^ Henry.)— "It will do us good to be 
often left alone, and sitting alone ; and if we have the 
art of improving solitude, we shall find we are never 
less alone than when alone. Meditation and prayer 
ought to be both our business and our delight when we 
are alone ; while we have a God, a Christ, and a hea- 
ven to acquaint ourselves witli^ and to secure an inter- 
est iuy we need not want matter either for meditation 
or prayer ; which, if they go together, will mutually 
befriend each other. Our walks in the field are then 
truly pleasant, when in them we apply ourselves to 
meditation and prayer. We there have a free and 
open prospect of the heavens above us, and the earth 
around us, and the hosts and riches of both; by the 
view of which we should be led to the contemplation 
of the Maker and Owner of all." 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 215 

(Dr. Bates.) — " If I should be asked what I think 
are the best means and way to advance the faculties, 
to increase grace, to enlarge our comfort, and produce 
holiness, I should answer, meditation, meditation, 
meditation." 



Every affliction has an errand, and is sent to accom- 
plish some special purpose. 

Dear Lord ! though bitter is the cup 
Thy gracious hand holds out to me, 

I cheerfully would drink it up, — 

That cannot hurt which comes from Thee ! 



Thou art but a pilgrim on earth, and shalt not stay 
here long : it matters little what is thy fare, if ihou 
come to thy father's house in peace. 

The world is seldom what it seems :— 

To man who dimly sees. 
Realities appear as dreams. 

And dreams realities. 

The Christian's years, though slow their flight, 

When he is called away ; 
Are but the watches of a night, 

And death the dawn of day. 

The conversation of too many, although it may be 
technically called religious^ resembles the cloud and 
the well without water, so strongly reprobated by St. 
Jude. When such persons separate from each other, 
they feel no real good derived to their souls. And 
why ? Because their conversation was destitute of that 
unction from the Holy One, which is life and peace. 



216 GLEANINGS FROM 

The apostolic injunction, Whatsoever ye do in word 
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, if duly 
obeyed, would cut off every idle and unprofitable word. 
How apposite is Malachi on this point : Then they that 
feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the 
Lord hearkened, and heard it : and a hook of remem- 
trance luas loritten before him, for them that feared the 
Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they 
shall he mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day 
when I make up my jeivels, and I will spare them as 
a man spareth his oivn son that serveth him. 



A piously disposed heart is like an alembic ; it dis- 
tils useful thoughts out of all things it meets with ; it 
sees God in all things, and all things in God. 



If thy religion is impressive by its consistency, let 
it be attractive by its amiableness; think upon and 
pursue whatsoever things are lovely and of good report. 
In excuse for the disagreeable tempers and repulsive 
manners of some Christians, it is said that grace may 
be sometimes grafted on a crab-stock : be it so, but 
instead of excusing the improprieties, the metaphor 
condemns them. When a tree is grafted, it is always 
expected to bear fruit according to the scion, and not 
according to the stock. The fruit of the Spirit is 
love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness, temperance ; against such there is no 
law. 



Youth is the season of warm and generous emotions. 
The heart should then spontaneously rise into the 
admiration of what is great, flow with the love of what 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 217 

is fair and excellent, and melt at the discovery of ten- 
derness and goodness. 

That which wears the charms of novelty and plea- 
sure is often too eagerly pursued by unsuspecting 
youth ; the tempers, habits, and dispositions of those 
with whom they associate are frequently copied ; and 
the morning of their days, which ought like that of 
holy Samuel to be dedicated to God, is often made the 
introduction to vice, and the commencement of irre- 
trievable ruin. 



With a graceful elocution and a splendid diction, a 
man may be possessed of the basest morals, and the 
most corrupt principles. 



The odour of a righteous man's conversation will 
diffuse itself around, and will more or less influence 
the most profligate characters. 



Faith, from low pursuits estranging, 
Ardent virtue, sacred truth. 

Are the flowers of spring, unchanging, 
And enjoy immortal youth. 



(Jane Taylor.) — Conclusion of her last letter, writ- 
ten on the day before her death.- — " I fear I cannot 
finish. — 0, my dear friends, if you knew what thoughts 
I have now, you would see, as I do, that the whole 
business of life is preparation for death ! Let it be so 
with you. If I have ever written or spoken anything 
you deem good advice, be assured I would, if I could, 
repeat it now with tenfold force. Think of this when 
I am gone. Tell I — — I hope he will read Williams's 
19 



218 GLEAXINGS FROM 

Diary; and study to become such a character, as a 
man of business and a Christian. I wish you all to 
read it." — Nearly her last words were the lines of Dr. 
Watts: 

Jesus, to thy dear faithful hand 

My naked soul I trust ; 
And my flesh waits for thy command 

To drop into the dust. 

Repeating with intense fervour the words, 

Jesus, to thee — my naked soul — 
My naked soul I trust. 



(Hall.) — ''All that I can say for myself, is a desire 
of doing good ; which if it were as fervent in richer 
hearts, the church which now we see comely, would 
then be glorious. This honest ambition hath carried 
me to neglect the fear of seeming prodigal of my little; 
and while I see others' talents rusting in the earth, 
hath drawn me to traffic with mine in public." 



How short-lived are the best resolutions made in our 
own strength; they resemble the early dew which soon 
passeth away, and the grass upon the house-top which 
withereth afore it groweth up. 



As we cannot live naturally without air, neither can 
we live spiritually without prayer. 



Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, 
Uttered or unexpressed ; 

The motion of a hidden fire. 
That trembles in the breast. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 219 

Prayer is the burden of a sigh, 

The falling of a tear ; 
The upward glancing of an eye, 

When none but God is near. 



God will have the Christian thoroughly humbled and 
dependent. Strong minds think perhaps, sometimes, 
that they can effect great things in experience, by 
keeping themselves girt up, by the recurrence of habit, 
by vigorous exertion. This is their unquestionable 
duty. But God often strips them, lest they should 
grow confident. He lays them bare. He makes them 
feel poor, dark, impotent. He seems to say, " Strive 
with all your vigour ; but yet I am He that worketh 
all in all." 



As he is not a Christian who only talks about Christ, 
so he is not a spiritually-minded man who only thinJcs 
about spiritual things. It is a great blessing to have 
spiritual views ; but what do they avail without spirit- 
ual affections, and a spiritual walk ? 

Stoical apathy is not Christian fortitude. As these 
states are superinduced by contrary causes, we see 
they are productive of different effects : — the hope of 
the one is gloomy and selfish, and founded only on 
probabilities ; that of the other is cheerful and ani- 
mated ; a hope not founded on the possible correctness 
of a system of speculative notions, but on the promises 
of Him whose words stand surer than the heavens ; a 
hope beaming with light, and life, and immortality. 

Moderate counsels are generally wisest and best. 
Gentleness will do what violence will not do. Most 



220 GLEANINGS FROM 

people love to be accosted mildly. Good words cost 
nothing but a little self-denial, and yet they purchase 
great things. 

Husbandmen tell us that the young and tender 
branches of a vine are not to be pruned away with a 
knife, but gently pulled away by hand. Before we 
reprove, let us know the condition of our brother, 
whether he is not like the young vine, soft and tender: 
and so to be cured rather with the hand than with the 
knife : and if he be grown so hard that he shall need 
the knife, we must not rashly adventure of it, but know 
there is a skill likewise in using the knife. 



(Anthony Benezet.) — An acquaintance of his, re- 
lating to him in conversation, that he had recently 
heard of a person in whose coffers, after death, many 
thousand dollars in specie were found, Benezet ex- 
pressed great sorrow at being informed of the circum- 
stance, and begged of his friend to give as little cur- 
rency as possible to the fact ; adding, that he thought 
"It would have been quite as reasonable to have had 
as many thousand pairs of boots or shoes in the house, 
whilst the poor were suffering with bare feet, for the 
want of them." 



! ye, who still exult in prosp'rous gales, 

Untried by the adversities that press 

Your fellow-tenants of the gift of life. 

With trembling notes rejoice ; and call to mind 

That sentence of the undeceiving jip : 

"Where much is given, much too will be required:'* 

Much good example, much humility. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 221 

And due devotion to the Giver's cause. 

So may your better stores be filled with plenty, 

And with celestial wine your presses teem. 



One great cause of our insensibility to the goodness 
of the Creator, is the very extensiveness of his bounty. 
We prize but little what we share only in common 
with the rest, or with the generality of our species. 
When we hear of blessings, we think forthwith of suc- 
cesses, of prosperous fortunes, of honours, riches, pre- 
ferments ; i. e. of those advantages and superiorities 
over others, which we happen either to possess, or to 
be in pursuit of, or to covet. The common benefits 
of our nature entirely escape us. Yet these are the 
great things. These constitute what most properly 
ought to be accounted blessings of Providence ; what 
alone, if we might so speak, are worthy of its care. 
Nightly rest and daily bread, the ordinary use of 
our limbs, and senses, and understandings, are gifts 
which admit of no comparison with any other. Yet, 
because almost every man we meet with possesses 
these, we leave them out of our enumeration. They 
raise no sentiment; they move no gratitude. Now, 
herein is our judgment perverted by our selfishness. 
A blessing ought in truth to be the more satisfactory ; 
the bounty at least of the donor is rendered more con- 
spicuous, by its very diffusion, its commonness, its 
cheapness ; by its falling to the lot, and forming the 
happiness of the great bulk and body of our species 
as well as of ourselves. Nay, even when we do not 
possess it, it ought to be matter of thankfulness that 
others do. 

19* 



222 GLEANINGS FEOM 

In this fallen world, where sin has planted sorrows 
in awful profusion, is it not wonderful, that creatures, 
liable to continual change, are not solicitous to find a 
covert from the tempest ? They are anxious indeed 
to obtain rest, but they seek for it where it never can 
be found — in earthly things. 



Men are apt to imagine that if they can only amass 
a fortune, and ascend the hill of prosperity, they shall 
escape those troubles which overwhelm many who dwell 
in the vale below. But are not mountains the most 
exposed to storms ? Are they not the most bleak and 
barren parts of the earth? whilst the shattered valleys 
stand so thick with corn, that, in the poetic language 
of David, they laugh and sing. 



The princely pine, on hills exalted. 

Whose lofty branches cleave the sky, 
By winds long braved at last assaulted, 

Is headlong whirled in dust to lie ; 
Whilst the mild rose, more safely growing 

Low in its unaspiring vale, 
Amidst retirement's shelter blowing, 

Exchanges sweets with many a gale. 



The Lord deals graciously with his people. Though 
he puts them into the furnace, yet he will not suffer it 
to be heated one degree more than is needful to con- 
sume the dross and purify their souls. He presides 
over it himself. His wisdom and love regulate its 
strength. Thus, in the midst of all their trials, he 
never leaves them, nor forsakes them. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 223 

And, 0, je children of affliction ! know 
Yours is no despicable lot. E'en He 
Who died that ye may live, that ye may reign, 
Embraced affliction, and conversed with grief; 
A servant's form assumed, though Lord of all ; 
And led to glory, through a suffering path. 
Oh ! if ye wish to share his kingdom's bliss, 
See that a portion of his patient mind 
Be yours. Let no repinings pass your lips, 
Or even enter your well-guarded thoughts ; 
But take the cup his sovereign wisdom gives, 
And say, or strive to say, "Thy will be done." 



The oftener, and the more diligently the Scriptures 
are perused, the more beautiful will they appear, and 
the less will be our relish for light and superficial 
reading. A satisfaction is felt in perusing them which 
no human composition can excite. 



It seems to have afforded Job no small consolation 
in his afflictions, that he had, when in prosperity, care- 
fully attended to the poor. The forcible language in 
which he repels the insinuations of his mistaken friends, 
shows the high estimation in which he held this virtue : 
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have 
caused the eyes of the loidotv to fail ; or have eaten my 
morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten 
thereof ; if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, 
or any poor without covering ; if his loins have not 
blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece 
of my sheep : if I have lifted up my hand against the 
fatherless when I saw my help in the gate ; then let 
my arm fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be 



224 GLEANINGS FROM 

hrohen from the hone ; for destruction from Crod was 
a terror to me, and hy reason of his highness I could 
not endure. 



The heart which bleeds for others' woes, 
Shall feel each selfish sorrow less ; 

The breast which happiness bestows, 
Reflected happiness shall bless. 



The children of poverty and distress, whilst assem- 
bled with the opulent, and joining them in solemn wor- 
ship, may feel that they are all the offspring of one 
gracious Parent ; all equally dependent on his bounty 
and goodness ; and from those feelings they may learn 
to support, with resignation and hope, that allotment 
which the Father of mercies has assigned to them. 
Whatever differences may elsewhere exist among men, 
in the presence of the Divine Being, the rich and the 
'poor meet (equally) together ; for the Lord is the maker 
of them all. 

To endeavour to make our fellow-creatures happy is 
the way to render ourselves happy. 



(Legh Richmond.) — '' My mother had six children, 
three of whom died in infancy. A very affecting cir- 
cumstance accompanied the death of one of them, and 
was a severe trial to her maternal feelings. Her then 
youngest child, a sweet little boy, just two years old, 
was, through the carelessness of his nurse, precipitated 
from a bed-room window upon the pavement beneath. 
I was at that time six years of age, and happened to 
be walking on the very spot when the distressing event 
occurred : I was therefore the first to take up and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 225 

deliver into our agonized mother's arms the poor little 
sufferer. The head was fractured, and he only sur- 
vived the fall about thirty hours. I still preserve a 
very distinct and lively remembrance of the struggle 
between the natural feelings of the mother and the 
spiritual resignation of the Christian. She passed the 
sad interval of suspense in almost continual prayer, 
and found God a present help in time of trouble. 
Frequently during that day did she retire with me ; 
and, as I knelt beside her, she uttered the feelings and 
desires of her heart to God. I remember her saying, 
" If I cease praying for five minutes, I am ready to 
sink under this unlooked-for distress ; but when I 
pray, God comforts and upholds me. His will, not 
mine, be done." 



Lord ! teach us how to pray aright, 
With reverence and with fear ; 

Though dust and ashes in thy sight. 
We may, we must draw near. 

We perish if we cease from prayer, 
grant us how to pray ; 

And when to meet thee we prepare, 
Lord, meet us by the way ! 

Give deep humility ; the sense 

Of godly sorrow give ; 
A strong desiring confidence. 

To hear thy voice and live. 

Faith is the only sacrifice 

That can for sin atone ; 
To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes, 

On Christ, on Christ alone. 



-226 GLEANINGS FHOM 

Patience to watch, and wait, and weep, 
Though mercy long delay ; 

Courage, our fainting souls to keep, 
And trust thee though thou slay. 

Give these, and then thy will be done; 

Thus strengthened with all might, 
We by thy Spirit, through thy Son, 

Shall pray, and pray aright. 



The most insignificant cottage of a believer may be 
called a palace, since it is the king's presence which 
constitutes a court. 



A young man of high connections and great respec- 
tability was induced by some gay acquaintances to 
accompany them to a ball. Arrived at the scene of 
dissipation, the festive company proceeded to their 
amusement. The music struck up, and he among the 
rest was highly delighted with the diversion. In the 
midst of their enjoyment, as though a messenger had 
been sent immediately from heaven, the clock struck 
one. That striking passage of Dr. Young's instantly 
rushed upon his mind : — 

" The bell strikes one — we take no note of time 
But from its loss : — to give it then a tongue 
Is wise in man. As if an angel spoke 
I feel the solemn sound ; if heard aright, 
It is the knell of my departed hours. 
Where are they? With the years beyond the flood. 
It is the signal that demands dispatch. 
How much is to be doiae ! My hopes and fears 
Start up alarmed, and o'er life's narrow verge 
Look down — on what ? A fathomless abyss, 
A dread eternitv!" 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 227 

Conviction seized the youth: alarmed and terrified, 
he left the dissipated throng, and retired to his closet ; 
his subsequent conduct bearing testimony to a substan- 
tial change of heart. 

Go, mortal, range the world from pole to pole, 
Still nought but vanity thy search shall find ; 

Subject to disappointment is the whole ; 

Nought there can satisfy the famish'd mind. 

Of the mere worldling, see the heartfelt pain; 

See the crown's weight oppress the monarch's brow; 
See the pale miser tremble o'er his gain ; 

See bitter ends to sweetest joys below. 

In vain, alas ! we seek with anxious eye, 
For perfect happiness beneath the sky ; 

In vain our minds to pleasure we resign ; 
For, oh I to satisfy th' immortal part, 
And fill, with joy sincere, the craving heart, 

No pow'r suffices, short of love divine. 

The cup of sorrow is in constant circulation; we 
must all drink, and some of us deeply. It is not ma- 
terial whose turn comes first ; the thing is to benefit 
by the draught ; for it requires very little self-know- 
ledge to convince us that we are unequal to prosperity, 
and unable to sustain it without growing careless, or 
attaching ourselves too strongly to the things which 
perish, to the exclusion of things eternal. 



(Eliza CuNNmGHAM.) — This amiable young person 
was cut off by consumption before she was fifteen 
years of age. Her uncle, the well known John New- 



228 GLEANINGS FROM 

ton, who gave a short memoh- respecting her, experi- 
enced a great mitigation in the sorrowful parting, by 
the heavenly condition of her mind. He says, among 
other things, that in the morning of the day she died, 
the doctor asking her how she was, she answered, 
" Truly happy ; and if this be dying, it is a pleasant 
thing to die." About ten she said, " My dear uncle, 
I would not change conditions with any person upon 
earth. Oh ! how precious is the Lord to me ! Oh ! 
what a change is before me !" To her most constant 
attendant she said, "Be sure you continue to call 
upon the Lord; and if you think he does not now 
hear you, he will at last, as he has heard me." Her 
uncle says, that within half an hour of her translation 
to glory, she proposed to see a friend who had called ; 
but being discouraged from it on account of her very 
exhausted state, she smiled and said, ''It is very well, 
I will not." "The Lord" (he continues) "had so 
filled her heart with benevolence, that she was ready 
to exert herself to her last breath in hopes of saying 
something that might be useful to others when she was 
gone.' 



Spring an emblem is of youth, 
Hasting on to with'ring age : 

Oh, that this important truth 
Might each youthful heart engage ! 

Every pulse, and every breath, 

Nearer brings our winter, death. 

You, I trust, delight to think 

On the change which many dread; 

Here you taste, but there shall drink 
Pleasures at the fountain-head. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 229 

Has not Jesus, by his love, 
Taught your heart to soar above ? 

Endless spring will there prevail, 
There the flowers unfading grow ; 

Solid joys that never fail ; 
How unlike to all below ! 

Grief and sin will then be o'er, 

And our sun go down no more. 



Carefully distinguish between the feverish heat of 
animal fervour, and the vital warmth of Christian 
feeling. Mere youthful energy, operating upon a 
newly awakened remorse for a thoughtless life, will 
carry the mind certain lengths ; but if unaccompanied 
with humility, repentance, and a continual application 
for a better strength than thy own, this slight resource 
will soon fail. It is not that principle which will en- 
courage progress ; it is not that divine support which 
will carry thee on to the end. The Christian race is 
not to be run at a heat ; religion is a steady, progres- 
sive course ; it gains strength by going, and eventually 
it gains speed also : progress quickens the pace ; for 
the nearer the approach to the goal, the more ardent 
is the desire to reach it. And though in thy further 
advance, thou may imagine thyself not so near as 
thou didst on thy first setting out, this is not really 
the case : — thou hast a lower opinion of thy state, 
because thou hast obtained higher views of the spirit- 
uality of the law of God, and a more humbling sense 
of thy own unworthiness. Even the almost Christian 
prophet seems not to have been previously so deeply 
convinced of sin, as when overwhelmed by the glory^ 
20 



230 GLEANINGS FROM 

of the Divine vision, he exclaimedj Mine eyes Jiave 
seen the King^ the Lord of Hosts. 



Men may be consumed by a fiery zeal, and yet ex- 
hibit little of the meekness, humility, and sweet bene- 
volence of Jesus. 



How serious is the condition of a backslider. Con- 
science is too quick to allow him to enjoy the world; 
and religion is too much neglected to yield him the 
smallest comfort. He lives in disquietude and anguish, 
until he repents and finds anew the favour of his Grod. 



" Eeturn at once, when I reprove, 
Lest I thy candlestick remove : 

And thou, too late, thy loss lament: — 
I warn before I strike — Repent !" 



(Lady Huxtixgdox.) — In her early youth, when 
about nine years old, the sight of a corpse, about her 
own age, carried to the grave, engaged her to attend 
the funeral : and there the first impressions of deep 
seriousness about an eternal world laid hold of her 
conscience ; and with many tears she cried earnestly 
on the spot to God, that whenever he was pleased to 
call her hence, he would deliver her from all her fears, 
and give her a happy departure. She often afterwards 
visited the grave, and always preserved a lively sense 
of the afi"ectino: scene. 



There is an hour when I must die, 
Kor do I know how soon 'twill come; 

A thousand children young as I, 

Are call'd by death to hear their doom. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 231 

Let me improve the hours I have, 

Before the day of grace is fled : 
There's no repentance in the grave, 

Nor pardon offered to the dead. 



Meekness gives its possessor many advantages in. 
passing through life, particularly from that state of 
self-government which it produces, and which is indeed 
its inseparable companion. When it is genuine, it not 
only makes a man master of himself, but gives him also 
a great influence over others. A soft anstuer turneth 
away wrath. 

It may be presumed that "no man was ever scolded 
out of his sins." The heart, corrupt as it is, and be- 
cause it is so, grows angry if it be not treated with 
some management and good manners, and scolds again. 
A surly mastiff will bear, perhaps, to be stroked, though 
he will growl even under that operation ; but if you 
touch him roughly, he will bite. There is no grace 
that the spirit of self can counterfeit with more success 
than this sort of religious zeal. A man that loves me, 
if he sees me in an error, will pity me, and endeavour 
calmly to convince me of it, and persuade me to for- 
sake it. 



If truly pious men conscientiously differ from each 
other in matters which do not affect the essentials of 
the gospel, this should not prevent their loving each 
other as brethren, or uniting together in one holy pha- 
lanx, to contend for the faith once delivered to the 
saints. How affectingly beautiful is the parting ad- 
dress of St. Paul to the church at Corinth : Finally^ 



232 GLEANINGS FROM 

Iretliren. fareicell I Be ■perfect, he of good comfort, he 
of one mincl^ live in j:)gacg, and the God of love and 
■peace shall he ivith yon. May it then be our constant 
aim to maintain the nnitv of the Spirit in the bond of 
peace, that the world may be constrained to exclaim, 
See hoiv these Christians love one another ! 

*'Love makes the music of the blest above; 
Heav'n's harmony is universal love." 



^'Mothers can do great things."— It is recorded 
of the mother of Philip Doddridge, that she taught him 
the rudiments of Scripture history from the Dutch 
tiles round their iire-place ; and that for this, her son 
expressed himself indebted to her for his first serious 
impressions. John Newton imputed much to early 
maternal instruction. "Further," (said he) "my dear 
mother, besides the pains she took with me, often com- 
mended me, with many prayers and tears, to God ; 
and I doubt not but that I reap the fruits of these 
prayers to this hour." Philip Henry is said to have 
often mentioned his thankfulness to God, in having a 
mother who was to him as Lois and Eunice were to 
Timothy, acquainting him with the Scriptures from his 
childhood. 



It is very desirable to meet with cheerfulness all the 
dispensations of unerring wisdom : but we should con- 
sider that the minds and countenances of some persons 
deprive them of that cheerful appearance which others 
possess ; and, therefore, be cautious in judging one 
another. It must, however, be admitted by those who 
consider the duties and prospects which Christianity 
presents, and particularly our Lord's sermon on the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 233 

mount, that gloominess and moroseness, as well as cen- 
soriousness and ostentation, form no part of the reli- 
gion of Jesus Christ. 

Let no one think that he may live for himself alone. 
Each individual has a sphere of usefulness to occupy ; 
and his happiness is closely connected with the per- 
formance of his duty. Our Divine Redeemer has left 
us an example that we should tread in his steps. May 
we daily study the conduct of Him whose life was one 
continued exercise of unwearied benevolence — "who 
went about doing good." 



A good man will guide his affairs with discretion. 



Hence, order, comfort, in his household reign ; 
And more than these he seeks not to obtain. 
His ma.nsion furnished, in no costly style. 
Oft makes his tasty neighbours stare and smile ; 
But that unmoved and unavenged he bears. 
Unless it be sometimes to smile at theirs. 
His neat, plain parlour wants our modern air, 
But comfort smiles on every object there. 
— Tables of costly wood, and chairs whose mould 
Bespeaks the fashion not a fortnight old ; 
The window drapery's elegant costume, 
Arranged and deeply fringed to match the room; 
Carpets, where Eastern patterns richly crawl ; 
Vases, and mirrors blazing on the wall ; 
Cupids, that wave their waxen flames in air; 
Sideboards of plate, cut-glass, and china rare : 
These things he sees, and oh, surprising phlegm ! 
Wastes not a thought or wish for one of them. 
20-^ 



234 GLEANINGS FROM 

Still more surprising, tliat his house and board 
Are plainer far than he could well afford ! 
No seasoned dainties on his table steal ; 
Frugal, though ample, is the daily meal. 
The "olive plants" in graceful order sit; 
No greedy hands implore the savoury bit ; 
Taught from the very cradle to despise 
The wish for more than hunger's claim supplies. 
A pamper'd body and a vigorous mind 
Are things, he deems, that cannot be combined ; 
And aiming thus the mental string to brace, 
He rears a hardy, independent race. 

^ ^ >(< ^ J^ 

Thus he adorns the doctrines he avows ; 
Thus in the fear of God he guides his house : 
And while it prospers, that memorial word, — 
The poor are alivays ivith you, still is heard. 

Jic >}s >H * ^ 

Many condemn his plan, and many deem 
He carries things to an absurd extreme ; 
Think he might live in style, and yet afford 
A decent crumb from his superfluous board : 
Still there were other poor, and still the sums 
That style would cost might furnish other crumbs. 
'Tis thus he argues, thus that order reads, 
"Sell all thou hast, and give to him that needs." 
At that hard saying many turn away ; 
Let him who can, receive it, and obey. 



To be actively employed is good for the Christian ; 
whilst too great a seclusion unfits the mind for general 
usefulness. There is, however, a happy combination 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 235 

of activity and retirement which at once strengthens 
the mind, and promotes its spirituality. 



Whilst I labour to promote the spread of the gospel 
through the benighted regions of the earth, I must 
beware lest I neglect to cultivate, by close communion 
with Jesus, the work of grace in my own soul. When, 
like Martha, I find my mind cumbered with much ser- 
ving ; when I begin to feel an increasing distraction 
of thought, and a growing unfitness for spiritual medi- 
tation; then let me betake myself with redoubled 
frequency to Mary's happy station. 



And must I part with all I have, 
Jesus, my Lord, for thee ? 

This is my joy, since thou hast done 
Much more than this for me. 

Yes, let it go : — one look from thee 
Will more than make amends 

For all the losses I sustain. 
Of credit, riches, friends. 



Every branch in me, said our divine Savioui', that 
heareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may hring forth 
more fruit. Thus, the pruning knife of affliction is 
applied to the true branches, to cut off all their exu- 
berances, and to render them more abundant in the 
fruits of holiness. Hence, it is worthy of remark, that 
the very trials which take away the unfruitful branches, 
do by a skilful operation of spiritual husbandry, pro^ 
mote the fertility of those branches which derive their 
nourishment by a vital union to the parent stem. 



236 GLEANINGS FROM 

Jesus, thou true and living vine, 
Unite my soul to thee ; 

! let my barren, wither'd heart, 
A fruitful scion be. 



If thou desire the happiness of thy child, teach him 
obedience and self-restraint. 



Children should be inured, as early as possible, to 
acts of charity and mercy. Constantino, as soon as 
his son could write, employed Ms hand in signing par- 
dons, and delighted in conveying through his mouth 
all the favours he granted. A noble introduction to 
sovereignty, which is instituted for the happiness of 
mankind. 



There can be no appearance more hopeful and pro- 
mising in childhood and youth, than a tenderness of 
conscience respecting small things. A child who is 
never inclined to plead excuses for what is known to 
be wrong, by saying, "Is it not a little thing?" who 
resists an improper thought, forbids a hasty word, who 
fears the slightest deviation from the truth, bids fair 
to rise by gradual, but certain steps, to true excellence. 
But whatever may be our view of the subject, it is cer- 
tain that God does not, in any sense, contemn small 
things. He looks at motives more than at actions ; at 
thoughts more than at words ; and by these we shall 
be judged. He does not despise the day of small 
things ; the bruised reed, the smoking flax, the grain 
of mustard-seed, the little leaven: — over these small 
beginnings He watches with patient and gracious care, 
till by little and little they attain to perfection. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 237 

A kind word, nay even a kind look, often affords 
comfort to the afflicted. 



Since trifles make the sum of human things, 
And half our misery from our foibles springs ; 
Since life's best joys consist in peace and ease, 
And few can save or serve, but all may please; 
Oh ! let the ungentle spirit learn from hence, 
A small unkindness is a great ofi'ence. 
Large bounties to bestow we wish in vain ; 
But all may shun the guilt of giving pain. 



It is stated by one of the biographers of Archbishop 
Usher, that on Kis being once wrecked upon a very 
desolate part of the coast, his importunity for relief 
met with much unkindness ; his character and station 
being rudely questioned, even to the expression of a 
doubt if he knew the number of the commandments. 
" Indeed I do," replied the Archbishop mildly : "there 
are eleven." "Eleven!" answered the catechist, 
" Tell me the eleventh, and I will assist you." " Obey 
the eleventh," said the Archbishop, " and you certainly 
will assist me — A new commandment I give unto you^ 
that ye love one another.'" 



Love is the very essence of true religion. 

Love is the sweetest bud that blows, 

Its beauty never dies ; 
On earth among the saints it grows, 

And ripens in the skies. 

Christian joy is not a tumultuous passion, or fever- 
ish affection, but a calm and composed frame — a holy 



238 GLEANIXGS FKOM 

serenity of soul — a gladsome rest in the faithfulness 
and grace of Jesus. It sheds a lustre over the coun- 
tenance ; beams forth at the eye ; and often causes it 
to be suffused in tears. It creates an indescribable 
delight in the heart. 



A Christian is a new creature in a new world, he 
has a new heart, is under a new government, serves a 
new master, observes new laws, is actuated by new 
fears, influenced by a new love, animated by new 
delights, and is a partaker of new joys. 



The flower of youth never appears more beautiful 
than when it bends towards the Sun ©f Righteousness. 



Thou from whom all goodness flows. 

I lift my heart to Thee ; 
In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes, 

Dear Lord, remember me 



The next best thing to being in the right, is, frankly 
and manfully to acknowledge being in the wrong. 

The forms of the world disguise men when abroad. 
But within his own family, every man is known to be 
what he truly is. 

There is no danger of economy degenerating into 
covetousness, when what is saved from our needless 
gratification is devoted to the real wants of others. 

There is a popular but unfounded axiom respecting 
the use of wealth, namely, that " a man may do what 
he will with his own.^' Christianity denies this asser- 
tion. Every man has indeed a legal right to the dis- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 239 

posal of his own property ; but religion interdicts h\s 
right to spend it in vanity or vice ; or if he be exempt 
from these grosser temptations, she still abridges his 
right to monopolize it. Christianity expects that the 
deserving and the distressed shall come in for such a 
proportion of his wealth as an enlightened conscience 
shall dictate. The Divine person who refused, in a 
legal sense, to be a divider or a judge over a contested 
property, did not fail to graft on the question he avoided 
answering, the imperative caution. Take heed, and be- 
ware of covetousness. 



A contemplative life has more the appearance of a 
life of piety than any other : but it is the Divine plan 
to bring faith into activity and exercise. We choose 
that sort of walk which we like best : if we love quiet, 
we are for sedentary piety ; but the design of God is 
to root us out of everything, and bring us into more 
useful stations. 



Habits of active benevolence, when formed with 
simplicity and singleness of heart, may yield far more 
advantage to ourselves, than the limited nature of our 
exertions can allow us to confer on others. It is more 
to give than to receive. 



Did I this day, for small or great, 
My own pursuits forego, 

To lighten by a feather's weight. 
The mass of human woe ? 



Death to every humble believer will be everlasting 
gain. It is only a quick transition from earth to hea- 
ven. To be absent from the body is to be present with 



240 GLF.AXINGS FROM 

the Lord. No wonder then that the apostle longed to 
be dissolved, that he might be with Christ. 



The stroke that from sin and from pain 
Shall set me eternally free, 

Will but strengthen and rivet the chain 
That binds me, my Saviour, to thee. 



David's pen never wrote more sweetly, than when 
dipped in the ink of affliction. 

Far from these narrow scenes of night, 

Unbounded glories rise ; 
And realms of infinite delight, 

Unknown to mortal eyes. 

Fair distant land ! could mortal eyes 

But half its joys explore. 
How would our spirits long to rise, 

And dwell on earth no more ! 

There, pain and sickness never come, 

And grief no more complains ! 
Health triumphs in immortal bloom, 

And endless pleasure reigns. 



Christian charity is a compound of active benevo- 
lence and tender compassion, flowing from a supreme 
love to Jesus Christ. 



There is something particularly calming to the soul 
in these beautiful words : — Thou loilt Jceep him in per- 
fect "peace wJiose mind is staged on thee, because he 
trusteth in thee. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 241 

A friend once asked Professor Franke how it came 
to pass that he maintained so constant a peace of 
mind. The benevolent and godly man replied, "'By 
stirring up mj mind a hundred times a-daj. Wher- 
ever I am, whatever I do, I say, Blessed Jesus, have 1 
truly a share in thy redemption 9 Are my sins for- 
given f Am I guided hy thy Spirit f Thine I am^ 
wash me again and again. By this constant converse 
with Jesus I have enjoyed serenity of mind and a set- 
tled peace in my soul." 



Though billows of sorrow shall roll, 
And surround me on every side ; 

Yet thou canst the tempest control, 
My Saviour, my refuge, my guide. 



And he spahe a parable unto them to this end, that 
men ought always to pray and not to faint. — Luke 
xviii. 1. 



Nothing can more beautifully exemplify the duties 
of holy retirement, and active benevolence than the life 
of Jesus. In the gospels we read, how incessant were 
his labours for the spiritual and temporal good of the 
thousands who followed him. And there we also read 
how he went up into a mountain apart to pray ; how 
when the evening was come he was there "alone;'* 
how he continued all night in prayer to Crod, 



Night is the time to pray : 
Our Saviour oft withdrew 

To desert mountains far away ; 
So will his followers do — 
21 



242 GLEANINGS FROM 

Steal from the throng to haunts untrod, 
And commune there alone with God. 



That desire of being wise above what is written, 
which is the effect of a proud, unhallowed curiosity, is 
strongly reprehended in the Holy Scriptures. When 
our blessed Lord was upon earth, he always repressed 
this spirit of curious inquiry, which is so natural to us. 
When one asked him, Lord, are there few that he 
.saved f his practical answer was, Strive to enter in at 
the strait gate ; as if he had said, " Trouble not thy- 
self about the secret counsels of heaven ; take heed to 
thyself, or thou shalt likewise perish." At another 
time when his disciples asked him, saying, Lord, wilt 
thou at this time restore again the hingdom to Lsrael ? 
he replied. It is not for you to know the times or the 
seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 
When Jesus had been foretelling Peter by what death 
he should glorify God, Peter, seeing John, the disciple 
whom Jesus loved, felt a curiosity to know what would 
become of him also ; and said. Lord, and tvhat shall 
this man do ? Jesus said unto him, if I will that he 
tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? follow thou me. 
Thus we see how pointedly our Lord checked that pry- 
ing into secret things, which, if indulged, would take 
us from the plain path of child-like obedience, and 
draw us into labyrinths where our minds would soon 
be "in wandering mazes lost." Should any of the 
divine truths seem to contradict each other, it arises 
from the finite nature of our own mind. Instead, 
therefore, of labouring to reconcile the apparently op- 
posing statements of eternal truth, by systems of hu- 
man invention, it is the part of humility to receive each 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 243 

in the simplicity of faith, as God has been pleased to 
reveal them. 



A man upon the top of one hill may seem very nigh 
to the top of another, and yet can never come there, 
except he comes down from that where he is. The 
mount of thy civil righteousness and moral uprightness 
(on which thou standest so confidently) seems perhaps 
level in thy proud eye to God's holy hill in heaven ; 
yea, so nigh that thou thinkest to step over from one 
to the other with ease. But let me tell thee it is too 
great a stride for thee to take : thy safer way, and 
nearer, were to come down from thy mountain of self- 
confidence, and to go the ordinary road, in which all 
that ever got to heaven went. 



When we think of the enjoyments we want, we 
should think also of the troubles from which we are free. 



Slighted convictions are troublesome death-bed com- 
panions. 



There are two golden rules for a wise man : — not to 
think great things of himself; not to seek great things 
for himself. 



Augustine says, the first requisite in a Christian is 
humility ; the second, humility ; the third, humility. 

It appears by a memoir of Mary Jane Graham, 
" that, when a little girl just seven years old, she was 
one day led by a servant into some alms-houses be- 
longing to Rowland Hill ; and that the servant enter- 
ing into a long conversation with an aged woman, the 
child listened, and wondered what could make them 



244 aLEANINGS FROM 

talk upon subjects with which she had sometimas felt 
herself wearied ; when the old woman took her affec- 
tionately by the hand, and said to her : — ' My dear 
child ! make the Lord Jesus your friend now that you 
are so young, and when you come to be old, as I am, 
He will never leave you, nor forsake you.' She walked 
home in silence, by the nurse's side, deeply penetrated 
by the old woman's address ; and thinking how she 
could get Jesus to be her friend." Her subsequent 
life, as will be shown by the memoir, was one of more 
than common interest. 



He telletli the numler of the stars, he calleth them 
all hy their names. Psa. cxlvii. 4. 



When yonder glittering lamps on high 

Through night illumined roll ; 
May thought of Him from whom they shine 

Chase darkness from my soul. 

My soul, which reads his hand as clear 

In my minute affair, 
Asin his ampler manuscript 

Of sun, and moon, and stars ; 

And knows him not more bent, aright 

To wield this vast machine, 
Than to correct one erring thought 

In my small world within. 

A world, which shall survive the fall 

Of all his wonders here : 
Survive, when stars ten thousand drop, 

And quit this darkened sphere. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 245 

Then, ever permanent and fixed, 

From agitation free. 
Unchanged through everlasting years 

Shall my existence be. 

Ye worlds of light, that roll so near 
The Saviour s throne of shining bliss, 

Oh ! tell how mean your glories are, 
How faint and few compared with His* 

"We sing the bright and morning star, 
Jesus, the spring of light and love ; 

See how its rays, diffused from far. 
Conduct us to the realms above. 



Compassionate affections, even when they draw tears 
from our eyes for human misery, convey satisfaction 
to the heart. 



They who have nothing to give can often afford 
relief to others by imparting what they feel. 



No person who has once yielded up the government 
of his mind, and given loose rein to his desires and 
passions, can tell how far they may carry him. 

Bound on a voyage of awful length, 

And dangers little known, 
A stranger to superior strength, 

Man vainly trusts his own. 

But oars alone can ne'er prevail 

To reach the distant coast ; 
The breath of heaven must swell the sail, 

Or all the toil is lost. 



21* 



246 GLEANINGS FROM 

Adhering to and glorying in the cross of Christ, 
thou shalt enter the harbour of rest, not like a ship- 
wrecked mariner, clinging to some broken plank, and 
hardly escaping the raging waves; but like some 
stately vessel, with all her sails expanded, and riding 
before a prosperous gale. 

The spirit of Christ sweetly calms the soul of a suf- 
fering believer, not by taking away all sense of pain, 
but by overcoming it with a sense of his love. 

If his word once teach us, shoot a ray 
Through all the heart's dark chambers, and reveal 
Truths undiscerned but by that holy light, 
Then all is plain. 

When finally summoned to the bar of God, to give 
an account of our stewardship, what plea can we have 
to urge in our defence, if we remain willingly and ob- 
stinately ignorant of the way which leads to life, with 
such transcendent means of knowing it, and such 
urgent motives to its pursuit ? 



In great straits, it is natural, seeing every soul 
knows its own bitterness, to believe its trials peculiar. 
Were they not beyond the relief of human assistance, 
they would not answer the purpose of impelling the 
tried mind to its Maker for help. But hear the great 
apostle: — There hath no temptation taken you, hut 
such as is common to man ; hut Cfod is faithful, who 
will not suffer you to he tempted ahove that ye are 
ahle ; hut will with the temptation also maize a way to 
escape^ that ye may he ahle to hear it. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 247 

For the prize of thy high calling 
Onward press with cheerful face : 

To obtain is worth thy toiling ; 
Run with hope the Christian race. 

Happy is the man who, acting upon gospel princi- 
ples, doeth justice to all around him. He will have 
joy in the testimony of his consdience, and confidence 
in the mercy and truth of his God, that he will not 
leave him in the hand of oppressors. 



The religion with which our holy Redeemer invests 
his followers, softens the character, sweetens the tem- 
per, and enlivens all the tender afi'ections of the soul, 
filling it with kindness and love. 



When a Christian beholds a mote in his brother's 
eye, he remembers the beam in his own. 



Courtesy and kindness are Christian duties to be 
exercised towards all ; but friendship with the world 
is decidedly repugnant to the spirit of the gospel. 

Paley says of the Lord's Prayer, that " for a suc- 
cession of solemn thoughts, for fixing the attention 
upon a few great points ; for suitableness to every con- 
dition ; for sufficiency ; for conciseness without obscu- 
rity ; for the weight and real importance of its peti- 
tions, it is without a rival." 



Although other graces seem not to advance ; yet, 
if thou growest more self-denying and humble in the 
sense of thy slowness, all is not lost ; although the 
branches shoot not up so fast as thou wishest; yet, if 
the root grow deeper, and fasten more, it is a useful 



248 aLEANIN-GS FKOM 

growth. He that is still learning to be more in Jesus 
Christ, and less in himself, to have all his dependence 
and comfort in Him, is, doubtless, a growing believer. 

As every day thy mercy spares, 
Will bring its trials and its cares, 
0, Saviour ! till my life shall end, 
Be thou my counsellor and friend : 
Teach me thy precepts, all divine, 
And be thy great example mine. 

When pain transfixes every part. 
And languor settles at the heart, 
When on my bed, diseased, opprest, 
I turn and sigh, and long for rest, 
0, great Physician, mark my grief, 
And grant thy servant sweet relief. 



A Christian should never say he hath nothing to do. 

Those days are lost in which we do no good : those 
worse than lost in which we do evil. 



(MuNGO Park.) — In a season of great personal 
peril and despondency, his mind was suddenly revived 
by a mingled impression of nature and of religion. A 
small moss, in a state of fructification, struck his eye ; 
the delicate conformation of whose roots, leaves, and 
capsule, could not be contemplated without admiration. 
He then bethought himself — "Can that Being, who 
planted, watered, and brought to perfection, in this 
obscure corner of the world, a thing Avhich appears of 
so small importance, look with unconcern upon the 
situation and sufferings of creatures formed after his 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 249 

own image ?" Inspired by these just and pious reflec- 
tions, he started up and went on, despite of fatigue : 
and he soon found deliverance to be nearer than he 
had any reason to anticipate. 



Let the bright beams of science shed 
Their choicest influence o'er thy head ; 
And let the classic page impart 
Its raptures to thy glowing heart ; 
If Christ, thy Lord, thou do not know, 
Wretched and ignorant art thou. 

But though, to thee, her beaming ray 
Fair science deigns not to display : 
And, though thy heart has never glowed 
With warmth, by classic page bestowed ; 
Still, if thy Saviour, Christ, thou know, 
Happy, and learned, and wise art thou. 

The ejaculations can never too often be repeated : — 
How many things must go right for us to he an hour 
at ease ! How many more^ to he vigorous and active ! 
Yet, vigour and activity are, in a vast plurality of 
instances, preserved in human bodies, notwithstanding 
that they depend upon so great a number of instru- 
ments of motion, and notwithstanding that the defect 
or disorder sometimes of a very small instrument, of a 
single pair, for instance, out of the four hundred and 
forty-six muscles which are employed, may be attended 
with grievous inconveniency. — " With much compas- 
sion," says a writer, " as well as astonishment at the 
goodness of our loving Creator, have I considered the 
sad state of a certain gentleman, who, as to the rest, 
was in pretty gcod health, but only wanted the use of 



250 GLEANINGS FROM 

these two little muscles that serve to lift up the eye- 
lids, and so had almost lost the use of his sight, being 
forced, as long as this defect lasted, to shove up his 
eyelids every moment with his own hands !" In gene- 
ral we may remark, how little those, who enjoy the 
perfect use of their organs, know the comprehensive- 
ness of the blessing, the variety of their obligation. 
They perceive a result, but they think little of the 
multitude of concurrences which go to form it. 

Happy, if full of days ; but happier far, 
If, ere we yet discern life's evening star, 
Sick of the service of a world, that feeds 
Its patient drudges with dry chaff and weeds, 
We can escape from Custom's idiot sway, 
To serve the Sovereign we were born t' obey. 
Then, sweet to muse upon his skill displayed, 
(Infinite skill) in all that he has made ! 
To trace in Nature's most minute design, 
The signature and stamp of power divine ; 
Contrivance intricate expressed with ease. 
Where unassisted sight no beauty sees; 
The shapely limb, and lubricated joint, 
Within the small dimensions of a point, 
Muscle and nerve miraculously spun. 
His raighty work, who speaks and it is done; 
Th' invisible in things scarce seen revealed, 
To whom an atom is an ample field. 



Halyburton, on his Death-bed, to a Young Man 
IN THE Medical Profession. — " Study religion in 
your younger years ; and remember that you will, on 
a death-bed, have no comfort without it. I solemnly 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 251 

warn you, that if you shall become hardened by the 
frequent sight of persons in my circumstances, you 
will be in danger of losing all sensibility of conscience, 
and of being hardened for ever." 

Written by Sir William Jones in his Bible. — 
" I have carefully and regularly perused these Holy 
Scriptures ; and I am of opinion that this volume, 
independently of its divine origin, contains more true 
sublimity, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, 
more important history, and finer strains both of poe- 
try and eloquence, than can be collected from all other 
books, in whatever age or language they may have 
been written." 



Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and 
every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above 
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be en- 
treated : full of mercy and good fruits, without par- 
tiality, and. without hypocrisy. And the fruit of 
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make 
peace. — James iii. 16, 17, 18. 



We should hold the truth with firmness, but it should 
also be in love : otherwise zeal for orthodoxy may dic- 
tate such violent measures as shall more distract the 
church, and injure the cause of Christ, than false teach- 
ers themselves could do. But hj faith which worketh 
by love, we grow up into Christ in all things ; and act- 
ing in a believing, loving spirit, every minister and 
Christian, as a part of that body of which Christ is the 
head, contributes to the proportion, union, and pros- 
perity of the whole. 



252 GLEANINGS FROM 

The entertainment and increase of Christian love, 
of due esteem one of another, and affection one to an- 
other, is no matter of empty compliment, but is the 
very stamp and badge of Jesus Christ upon his fol- 
lowers. 



They know little of their own wants and emptiness, 
who are not much in prayer ; and they know little of 
the greatness and goodness of God, who are not much 
in praises. The humble Christian hath a heart, in 
some measure, framed to both. He hath within him 
the best schoolmaster, who teaches him how to pray, 
and how to praise, and makes him delight in the exer- 
cise of them both. 



Ah ! my Lord, thou know'st thy servant, 
Weak, unfaithful, apt to slide : 

Make his love more pure and fervent : 
Let him at thy feet abide. 

Thine the tribute of his praise ; 

Thine the vigour of his days. 



Every believer, while on earth, in his several calling, 
is an ambassador for Christ, though not called to the 
ministry. He has something of his Master's charac- 
ter and interest to maintain. He derives his supplies, 
his supports, his instructions, from above : and his 
great charge and care should be to be faithful to his 
commission, and every other care he may confidently 
cast upon the Lord to whom he belongs. In this sense 
we are to take the state upon ourselves, to remember 
our dignity, and not to stoop to a conformity to the 
poor world among whom we live ; we are neither to 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 253 

imitate their customs, nor regard their maxims, nor 
speak their language, nor desire their honours or their 
favours, nor fear their frowns ; for the Lord whom we 
serve has engaged to maintain and protect us, and has 
given us his instructions, to which it is both our duty 
and our honour to conform. 



A volume may be easily written upon the grace of 
humility, and to show the evil and folly of a self-seek- 
ing spirit. But if the author should introduce this sub- 
ject with our Saviour's words. Even the Son of Man 
came not into the world to he ministered unto, hut to 
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many : 
whoever was duly impressed with that short introduc- 
tion, would have no great occasion to read the rest of 
the book. 



Many of the truly pious have been called to finish 
their course without those vivid and transporting joys 
which others have experienced. It frequently, and 
perhaps generally, happens, that the diseases which 
terminate in dissolution, so affect the frame, as, by a 
certain law of nature, to disturb or impede the regular 
movements of the mind. We have no right in such 
cases to expect miracles. When the Christian, whose 
strength is exhausted, whose nerves are shattered, and 
whose whole frame is worn down with sharp pain or 
long protracted sickness, finds himself unable to medi- 
tate or pray with that fixedness and fervour of soul, 
which he has often experienced in these exercises ; his 
hope may still be firm and steadfast, while, with bro- 
ken, faltering accents, he repeats, and appropriates 
the language of the Psalmist — My heart and my flesh 
22 



254 GLEANINGS FROM 

failetJi; hut G-od is the strength of w.y heart, and my 
'portion for ever. 

Tliou maliest the outgoings of the morning and even- 
ing to rejoice. 

The morning's outgoings, its beauty and splendour, 
To thy creatures, God ! should thy witnesses be ; 

And the stillness of evening, more soothingly tender, 
Shall gather our spirits to centre in thee. 

But the aid of thy Spirit must livingly teach us. 

With power, and with unction derived from above — 

Ere the voice which they speak can availingly reach us, 
Or we can interpret their language of love. 

If the glories of nature alone could have guided 
The pilgrims of earth to their mansions on high, 

The light of the Gospel thou hadst not provided, 
Nor a Saviour descended, for sinners to die. 

Then pour out thy Spirit on sons and on daughters ; 

Open eyes to thy beauty, and ears to thy voice; 
Till praise to thy name, like the sound of vast waters, 

May bid them with morning and evening rejoice. 

The desire of more, which is the very essence of co- 
vetousness, makes us dissatisfied with what we already 
possess : whilst an increase of possessions, by increas- 
ing our solicitude, tends only to diminish our portion 
of actual enjoyment. 

Our knowledge of Scripture truth would be much 
extended by comparing one part with another. 



Consistency is the great character in good parents, 
which impresses children. Thej' may witness much 



PIOUS AUTHOllS. 255 

temper; but if they see their father ''keep the even 
tenor of his way," his imperfections will be understood, 
and allowed for as reason opens. 



The unconverted desire rather to start questions, 
than believe the truth, and pertinaciously to dispute, 
rather than to rest in the plainest interpretations. 

Has not God 



Still wrought by means, since first he made the world? 

And did he not of old employ his means 

To drown it ? What is his creation less 

Than a capacious reservoir of means, 

Eorm'd for his use, and ready at his will ? 

Go, dress thine eyes with eye-salve ; ask of him, 

Or ask of whomsoever he has taught ; 

And learn, though late, the genuine cause of all. 



High buildings require firm foundations. 



He who injures another injures himself. 

Humility seeks neither the first place, nor the last 
word. 



A peaceable temper must be supported by a candid 
one, or a disposition to view the conduct of others with 
fairness and impartiality. This stands opposed to a 
jealous and suspicious temper, which ascribes every 
action to the worst motive, and throws a black shade 
over every character. If we would be happy in our- 
selves, or in our connexions with others, let us guard 
against this malignant spirit. Let us study that 
charity "which thinketh no evil;" that temper which, 
without degenerating into credulity, will dispose us to 



256 GLEANINGS FROM 

be just ; and which can allow us to observe an error, 
without imputing it as a crime. Thus we shall be kept 
free from that continual irritation which imaginary 
injuries raise in a suspicious breast; and shall walk 
among men as our brethren, not as our enemies. But 
to be peaceable, and to be candid, is not all that is 
required of a good man. He must cultivate a kind, 
generous, and sympathizing temper, which feels for 
distress, wherever it is beheld ; which enters into the 
concerns of his friends with ardour ; and to all with 
whom he has intercourse, is gentle, obliging, and hu- 
mane. How amiable appears such a disposition when 
contrasted with a malicious or envious temper, which 
wraps itself up in its own narrow interest, looks with 
an evil eye on the success of others ; and, with an 
unnatural satisfaction, feeds on their disappointments 
and miseries ! How little does he know of the true 
happiness of life, who is a stranger to that intercourse 
of good offices and kind affections, which, by a pleasing 
charm, attaches men to one another, and circulates 
joy from heart to heart ! 



No radiant pearl, which crested fortune wears, 
No gems that twinkling hang from beauty's ears, 
Nor the bright stars, which night's blue arch adorn, 
Nor rising suns, that gild the vernal morn, 
Shine with such lustre, as the tear that breaks 
For others' woe, down Virtue's manly cheeks. 



Affliction is not joyous to the flesh, which hath made 
some of God's dear children awhile to shrink; but 
after they have been acquainted with the work, and 
the comforts which God bestows on his poor prisoners 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 257 

through the grate, they have learnt another tune ; like 
the bird that at first putting into the cage flutters, and 
shows her dislike to her restraint, but afterwards comes 
to sing more sweetly than when at liberty to fly where 
she pleased. 



Not tribulation, nakedness, 
The famine, peril, or the sword, 
Nor persecution, nor distress. 
Shall separate from Christ the Lord. 

The holy deportment of a believer often operates as 
a check to sinners. 



It is related of Thomas Sutton, the founder of the 
Charter-house, that he used often to repair to a private 
garden, where he poured forth his prayers to God, and 
was frequently overheard to use these expressions: 
"Lord, thou hast given me a large and liberal estate; 
give me also a heart to make use thereof." 



Men complain that life is short, and yet throw away 
much of it, and are weary of many of its parts ; they 
complain the day is long, and the night is long, and 
they want company, and seek their arts to drive the 
time, and then weep because it is gone too soon. 

A well-spent day prepares for sweet repose. 



Both the haivh fly hy thy ivisdom^ and stretch her 
wings towards the south ? 

Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make 
her nest on high ? Job xxxix. 26, 27. 

Are not tiuo sparroivs sold for a farthing? and one 
of them shall not fall on the ground without your 



258 GLEANINGS PROM 

Father, But the very hairs of your head are all num- 
hered. Fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value 
than many sparrows. Matt. x. 29, 30, 31. 



It wins my admiration 



To view the structure of that little work, 
A bird's nest. Mark it well within, without. 
No tool had he that wrought, no knife to cut. 
No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, 
No glue to join : his little beak was all, 
And yet how neatly finished ! "What nice hand. 
With every implement and means of art. 
And twenty years' apprenticeship to boot. 
Could make me such another? Fondly, then, 
We boast of excellence, whose noblest skill 
Instinctive genius foils. 



Thou hast set all the borders of the earth : thou hast 
made sunwier and ivinter. Psalm Ixxiv. 17. 



These as they change, Almighty Father, these 
Are but the varied God. The rolling year 
Is full of Thee. Forth in the pleasing spring 
Thy beauty walks. Thy tenderness and love 
Wide flush the fields ; the softening air is balm ; 
Echo the mountains round ; the forest smiles ; 
And every sense, and every heart is joy. 
Then comes thy glory in the summer months. 
With light and heat refulgent. Then thy sun 
Shoots full perfection through the swelling year : 
And oft thy voice in dreadful thunder speaks ; 
And oft at dawn, deep noon, or falling eve, 
By brooks and groves, in hollow-whispering gales. 
Thy bounty shines in autumn unconfined. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 259 

And spreads a common feast for all that lives. 
In winter, awful Thou ! with clouds and storms 
Around thee thrown, tempest o'er tempest roll'd, 
Majestic darkness! On the whirlwind's wing, 
Riding sublime, Thou bid'st the world adore, 
And humblest nature with thy northern blast. 



Purity, like the refreshing rose, sheds a fragrance, 
peculiarly its own, over our whole conversation ; and, 
like that lovely flower, leaves its retiring scent when 
we are gone. 



Christians who enjoy health, should not suffer the 
sun to shine in vain, nor the golden hours of the morn- 
ing to glide away unimproved. 



Awake ! the morning shines, and the fresh field 
Calls you: ye lose the prime, to mark how spring 
The tended plants, how blows the citron grove ; 
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed ; 
How nature paints her colours ; how the bee 
Sits on the bloom, extracting liquid sweets. 



No man has a right to disturb the comfortable feel- 
ings even of a beast, unnecessarily, much less wan- 
tonly. 



I would not enter on my list of friends, 

(Tho' graced with polished manners and fine sense, 

Yet wanting sensibility,) the man 

Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. 

An inadvertent step may crush the snail 

That crawls at evening in the public path ; 



260 GLEANINGS FROM 

But he that has humanity forewarn'd, 
Will tread aside, and let the reptile live. 



Whatever religious principles we may have adopted, 
we may ascertain the degree of their influence upon us 
by the proportion in "which we regard the duties of 
humanity. As to a cruel Christian, what flight of 
imagination could invent a more absolutely anomalous 
idea ? 



No feeling, perhaps, is less liable to be extended to 
a faulty excess than that of humanity to the brute 
creation ; the power of man being always despotic 
over them, he will ever need reminding of his respon- 
sibility for its abuse. 



(Cecil.) — One day I got off a horse to kill a rat 
which I found on the road only half killed. I am 
shocked at the thoughtless cruelty of many people ; 
yet I did a thing soon after that has given me consid- 
erable uneasiness, and for which I reproach myself 
bitterly. As I was riding homeward, I saw a wagon 
standing at a door with three horses : the two fore- 
most were eating their corn from bags at their noses ; 
but I observed the third had dropped his on the 
ground, and could not stoop to get any food. How- 
ever, I rode on, in absence, without assisting him. 
But when I got nearly home, I remembered what I 
had observed in my absence of mind, and felt ex- 
tremely hurt at my neglect ; and would have ridden 
back, had I not thought the wagoner might have come 
out of the house and relieved the horse. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 261 

There are hearts of softest mould. 

Which pitying, throb at sight of woe ; 

And there are hearts as marble cold, 
Which pity never taught to glow. 



A man should keep his friendship in constant repair. 

As similarity of mind. 

Or something not to be defined, 

First fixes our attention ; 
So manners decent and polite. 
The same we practised at first sight, 

Must save it from declension. 



In good old age serenely dying. 
When all he loved forsakes his view, 
Sweet is affection's voice replying, 
"I follow soon," to his " adieu !" 

Even then, though earthly ties are riven, 
The spirit's union will not end ; 

Happy the man, whom heaven hath given. 

In life and death, a faithful friend. 



Men who practise an austere, churlish, or reserved 
behaviour, as an appendage of religion, may be as- 
sured that it is the religion of their own constitution, 
and not the religion of Jesus Christ: the religion 
which he promulgated, if it had its due operation, 
would effectually remove such constitutional infirmity, 
which, when it appears in serious characters, otherwise 
respectable, does an essential injury to the cause of 
religion. 



262 GLEANINGS FROM 

Often, did we know the whole, we should be inclined 
to pity the state of those we most envy. 



The Christian's secret intercourse with God will 
make itself manifest to the world. We may not see 
the husbandman cast the seed into the ground ; yet 
when the corn grows and ripens, we know that it was 
sown. The mere professor, who may be found every- 
where but in his secret chamber, may think, that with 
care, he shall pass for a good Christian ; but he mis- 
takes, for the spirit will discover itself of what sort it 
is. He who would walk safely and honourably, must 
walk closely with God in secret. 

The path of disobedience is the path of suffering. 

An external profession may carry a man far, but 
not through ; it may light him along this world, but 
the damps of the shadow of Death will put it out. 



To be wise in our own eyes, to be wise in the opin- 
ion of the world, and to be wise in the sight of our 
Creator, are three things so very different as never to 
coincide. 



If the road be narrow, it is short ; and if the gate 
be strait, it opens into a boundless eternity. 

The times may look dark to sense^ but faith says it 
shall be well with the righteous. 



What is bearing a temporal cross, to the wearing an 
eternal crown ? 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 263 

Should I, to gain the world's applause, 

Or to escape its harmless frown, 
Refuse to countenance thy cause, 

And make thy people's lot my own ; 
What shame would fill me in that day, 
When Thou thy glory wilt display ! 

And what is man, or what his smile ? 

The terror of his anger — what ? 
Like grass, he flourishes awhile, 

But soon his place shall know him not. 
Through fear of such a one, shall I 
The Lord of heaven and earth deny ? 

No ! let the world cast out my name. 
And vile account me, if they will : 

If to confess the Lord be shame, 
I purpose to be viler still : 

For thee, my God, I all resign. 

Content, if I can call thee mine. 



We might as well expect, when we behold a calm 
atmosphere, and a clear sky, that no clouds were ever 
to rise, and no winds to blow, as that our life were 
long to proceed, without receiving provocations from 
human frailty. 



Prosperity is redoubled to -a good man by his gen- 
erous use of it. It is reflected back upon him from 
every one whom he makes happy. 

Virtue is the universal charm. Even its shadow is 
courted, when the substance is wanting. 



Holiness is so far from depriving a man of the joy 



264 GLEANINGS FROM 

and pleasure of this life, that there are incomparable 
delights and pleasures peculiar to the holy life, which 
the gracious soul finds in the ways of righteousness, 
enjoys by itself, and no stranger intermeddles with. 

Must not that man live a pleasant life that walks 
with God? Let it be but a man you ride with in a 
journey, one that loves you well, and is able to enter- 
tain you with good and cheerful discourse ; doth not 
the delight you take in his company, strangely, yet 
sweetly, beguile you of the tediousness of the way ? 
what joy then must God bring with him to that soul 
he walks with ! Blessed is the people (saith the Psalm- 
ist) that know the joyful sound ; they shall walTc, 
Lord^ in the light of thy countenance ; in thy name 
shall they rejoice all the day. 



Ah ! look not on the downward way, 
Where thousands in the desert stray. 
Mount on the wing, and upwards soar, 
Till earthly scenes appear no more. 
Wrapt up in flames of sacred love, 
Triumphant rise to realms above. 
Yield not thy heart to mortals here ; 
Oh ! see what beauty triumphs there. 
Place not thy all in splendid dust — 
The prey of thieves, of chance, of rust: 
Delusive treasures ! here to-day, 
To-morrow wing'd and fled away. 
Come view the rich, exhaustless mines. 
To thee, thy bounteous Lord assigns; 
So large, so boundless is the store, 
My soul can ask, can wish, no more. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 265 

When reviled for righteousness' sake, in what spirit 
do I treat my persecutors ? Do I return good for 
evil — blessing for cursing — kindness for abuse ? Do I 
bear them on my heart before God in prayer ; and 
earnestly implore, like my compassionate Saviour, 
when nailed to the cross, Father^ forgive them, for 
they know not what they do ! or do I resent their inju- 
ries by sourness of temper, irritation of spirit, retalia- 
tion of wrongs; returning, when possible, evil for evil? 



The less notice we take of the unkindness and inju- 
ries that are done us, the more we consult the quiet 
of our own minds. 



(Newton.) — Youth is the time to lay the founda- 
tion of good habits, which may be useful to us in 
future life. I much wish you to gain a habit of punc- 
tuality with respect to time : the want of this is very 
inconvenient to the person who fails, and gives trou- 
ble to others. If you follow my advice, you will find 
the advantage long before you are as old as I am. I 
began to aim at this almost fifty years ago, and I have 
seldom, if ever, been five minutes behind my time, 
unless unavoidably prevented, for near fifty years past. 

Let usefulness and beneficence, not ostentation and 
vanity, direct the train of thy pursuits. 



Henry Martyn, after a severe contest with many 
distinguished competitors for the prize of senior wrang- 
ler (the highest mathematical honour at Cambridge) 
observed, after receiving it, '' I was astonished to find 
what a shadow I had grasped." 

23 



266 GLEANINGS PKOM 

The pleasures of sense resemble a foaming torrent, 
which, after a disorderly course, speedily runs out, and 
leaves an empty and offensive channel. But the plea- 
sures of devotion resemble the equable current of a 
pure river, which enlivens the fields through which it 
passes, and diffuses verdure and fertility along its banks. 



The believer, reposing in God, finds 
when the storm beats upon his estate, his children, and 
his temporal comforts. 

If real Christians, who differ from each other on 
some abstruse points of theology, were to meet on the 
ground of our common Christianity, they would be sur- 
prised to find how nearly they approximate each other 
in genuine experience and practice. They would, with 
delightful feeling of joy, recognise a hrotlier, where 
they expected to meet an opponent. The weapons of 
controversy being thus laid aside, and agreeing to dif- 
fer on points confessedly abstruse, and beyond the 
power of finite reason to solve, they would cheerfully 
hold out the right hand of fellowship, and exhibit to 
the world that charity, which is the bond of perfect- 
ness, and the beauty of the Church of Christ. 



-I feel I have a heart 



Blessings to share, improve, impart, 
In blithe, severe, or pensive mood, 
At home, abroad, in solitude, 
Whatever clouds are on the wing, 
Whatever day the season brings. 
That is true happiness below. 
Which conscience cannot turn to woe ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 267 

And though such happiness depends 
Neither on clouds, nor days, nor friends, 
When friends, and days, and clouds unite, 
And kindred chords are tuned aright, 
The harmonies of heaven and earth. 
Through eye, ear, intellect, give birth 
To joys too exquisite to last, 
And yet more exquisite when past ! 



Christian ! thou art under many great troubles, many 
sore trials, but tell me, doth not God give unto thy 
soul such cordials, such supports, comforts, and refresh- 
ments, that the world knows not of ? Oh ! then cer- 
tainly thy affliction is in love. 



It is delightful to consider that the sufferings which 
believers are now called to endure, are the only suffer- 
ings which they shall ever experience. In heaven 
there is neither sighing nor sorrow. None of its inhab- 
itants say, I am sick, for the former things are passed 
away. What an animating thought ! It should make 
the children of God exclaim with the apostle : I am 
full of comfort, I am exceedingly joyful in all my 
tribulation. If we read the Holy Scriptures with due 
attention, we shall find that the most eminent saints 
have been the most tried. The faith of Abraham — 
the patience of Job — the meekness of Moses — the 
purity of Joseph — the devotion of Daniel — would not 
have been so conspicuous, had not these peculiar graces 
been brought into exercise by trials remarkably adap- 
ted to each. 



It is impossible for any one who forsakes the right 
path, to say, whither he shall wander. Few, when they 



268 GLEANINGS FROM 

begin to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, propose to 
sit down finally in the seat of the scornful. 

Believers in Jesus should dread nothing so much as 
leaving their first love, and backsliding in heart. All 
declensions begin in the heart and in the closet. 



If the soft hand of winning pleasure leads 
By living waters, and through flowery meads, 
When all is smiling, tranquil, and serene, 
And vernal beauty paints the flattering scene, 
Oh ! teach me to elude each latent snare. 
And whisper to my sliding heart — Beware ! 



The shortness of our lives, and the continual troubles, 
sicknesses, and calamities that attend them ; and the 
instances of mortality of all ages, sexes, and conditions 
of mankind, are sufficient to convince reasonable men, 
who have the seriousness and patience to consider and 
observe, that we have no abiding city here. 



Lord, shall the breathings of my heart 

Aspire in vain to thee ? 
Confirm my hope, that where thou art 

I shall for ever be. 

Then shall my cheerful spirit sing 
The darksome hours away. 

And rise on faith's expanded wing 
To everlasting day. 



(John Newton.) — On his visiting a young woman 
on her death-bed, who with very few advantages, had 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 269 

learned the value of heavenly riches ; he expressed his 
thankfulness to the Lord, that he had given her now to 
see she had not followed cunningly devised fables : 
" No," she said, " not cunningly devised fables ; these 
are realities, indeed : I feel their truth — I feel their 
comfort. ! tell my friends, tell my acquaintance, tell 
inquiring souls, tell poor sinners, tell all the daughters 
of Jerusalem (alluding to Solomon's Song, v. 16,) what 
Jesus has done for my soul. Tell them that now, in the 
time of need, I find him my beloved, and my friend, 
and as such, I commend him to them." Afterwards 
adding, " Oh ! sir, it is a serious thing to die ; no words 
can express what is needful to support the soul in the 
solemnity of a dying hour." 



Tell them, though 'tis an awful thing to die, 

('Twas e'en to thee,) yet the dread path once trod, 

Heav'n lifts its everlasting portals high. 

And bids the pure in heart behold their God ! 



What poor miserable creatures we are whilst in a 
state of nature, and under the power of sin, and Satan ! 
We smile, when we should sigh. We laugh, when we 
should mourn. We appear gay and sprightly, when 
we should be of a sorrowful spirit. But, ! the blessed 
change which takes place when the Gospel comes to the 
heart, not in word only, but in power. Then we re- 
ceive beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and 
thegarmentof praise for the spirit of heaviness. Then we 
are privileged to rejoice alway, and to delight ourselves 
in the abundance of peace. 0! happy, blissful state, 
thus to be the genuine disciples of the blessed Jesus ; 
who hath assured his faithful people, that he will mani- 
23-^ 



270 GLEANINGS FKOM 

fest himself unto them, as he does not unto the world ; 
yea, even come unto them, and make his abode with 
them. Who can contemplate these wonders of grace, 
and not feel the holy influence of this precious revela- 
tion — " God is love ?" Surely none but they wlio know 
not God ; for thus saith the apostle: He that loveth 
not, hnoweth not Grod ; for Grod is love. 



Whene'er the angry passions rise, 

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, 
On Jesus let us fix our eyes, 
"Jp right pattern of the Christian life ! 

0, how benevolent and kind! 

How mild ! how ready to forgive ! 
Be his the temper of our mind, 

And his the rules by which we live. 



0, Thou, who driest the mourner's tear, 
How dark this world would be ; 

If, when deceived and wounded here, 
We could not fly to Thee. 

The friends who in our sunshine live, 
When winter comes are flown ; 

And he who has but tears to give, 
Must weep those tears alone. 



If thou art poor^ yea in the situation of Lazarus, it 
will aiford thee an unspeakable sweetness to look up, and 
say, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance^ and 
of my cicp ; thou maintainest my lot. I have no means, 
but he is my inheritance ; I have no silver cups, or 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 271 

golden tankards, to drink delicious wines from my cellar, 
but I drink of the rippling brook out of my brown 
earthen jug, and the water is made sweeter to me than 
wine, and the jug ennobled above gold, while I re- 
member. The Lord is the 'portion of my cup. Yes, 
the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places: though I 
live in a cottage, I have with him a goodly heritage. 
And what are earthly possessions without this blessing ? 
The blessing of the Lord maheth rich, and he addeth 
no sorrow with it. I can eat my crumbs of bread, which 
have fallen from the rich man's table, or which I have 
earned with the sweat of my brow, and feel that Better 
is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure 
and trouble thereiuith. 



We must not dare to tread within the veil, or curi- 
ously pry into those hidden mysteries, which God has 
wisely concealed from mortal eyes. Thou hnowest not 
now, but thou shalt know hereafter, will compose and 
satisfy every humble, loving, obedient, grateful follower 
of the Lamb. 



With thee delighted, I forget 
All time, and toil, and care : 

Labor is rest, and toil is sweet, 
If thou, my God, be there. 



The Lord's people are not all equally called to navigate 
the deep waters of soul-distress; but it is frequently the 
lot of those whom he designs to honour with eminent 
usefulness in his service; as in a great building, the 
foundation is laid deep, in proportion to the height and 
weight of the intended superstructure. It is in this 



272 GLEAmXGS FROM 

school of temptation and exercise, that they acquire 
the tongue of the learned, and an ability to speak a 
■word in season to them that are weary. By what they 
have themselves passed through, they are taught to 
sympathize with their fellow sinners under similar trials, 
and, likewise, how to give them advice suitable to their 
cases. And the remembrance of their past conflicts 
with a depraved nature, and the powers of darkness, is 
sanctified to keep them humble, watchful, and dependent 
in their future course. 

Believers have their summer and their winter seasons ; 
and both are necessary, and, though not equally pleas- 
ant, are perhaps equally profitable. At one time they 
are taught what the Lord can do /or them, in them, or 
hy them. At another, he is pleased to withdraw in a 
measure, and leave them to themselves, that they may 
learn how little they can do without him. 



Oh ! I have seen the day. 

When with a single word 
God helping me to say, 
My trust is in the Lord — 
My soul has quelled a thousand foes, 
Fearless of all that could oppose. 



In the rufiied and angry hour, every appearance is 



viewed through a false medium. 



The poor man may enjoy that peace and tranquillity 
in his small habitation, which is unknown at courts. 



" One gracious smile, my God, from thee, 

One kind, forgiving word. 
Is more than all the world to me, 

'Twill greater joy afibrd." 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 273 

" Wherever we turn our eyes, to the earth, to the heav- 
ens, to the myriads of beings that live and move around 
us, or to those myriads of worlds, which seem themselves 
almost like animate inhabitants of the infinity through 
which they range ; above us, beneath us, on every side, 
we discover, with a certainty that admits not of doubt, 
intelligence and design, that must have preceded the ex- 
istence of everything which exists." The power of the 
Omnipotent is indeed so transcendent in itself, that the 
loftiest imagery and language which we can borrow from 
a few passing events in the boundlessness of nature, must 
be too feeble to express its force and universality. 



The sun, a world, whence other worlds drink light ; 
The crescent moon, the diadem of night ; 
Stars countless, each in his appointed place, 
Fast anchored in the deep abyss of space — 
At such a sight, to catch the poet's flame, 
And with a rapture like his own, exclaim, 
These are thy glorious works, thou Source of Good, 
How dimly seen, how faintly understood ! 



How is the wisdom of the Creator displayed in the con- 
struction of the human heart. "And how well (says 
Paley) does it execute it office ! An anatomist, who un- 
derstood the structure of the heart, might say beforehand 
that it would play ; but he would expect, I think, from 
the complexity of its mechanism, and the delicacy of 
many of its parts, that it should always be liable to de- 
rangement, or that it would soon work itself out. Yet 
shall this wonderful machine go night and day, for 
eighty years together, at the rate of a hundred thousand 



274 GLEANINGS FROM 

strokes every twenty-four hours, having at every stroke 
a great resistance to overcome ; and shall continue this 
action for this length of time, without disorder and with- 
out weariness." 



But is't not, stranger, proof of greater power, 

Thou e'er hadst life, or now should'st live an hour ? 

Know'st thou the nature of the human frame, 

That world of wonders, more than we can name ? 

Say, has thy busy, curious eye survey' d 

The proofs of boundless wisdom there display'd ? 

How rang'd each fibre, with amazing skill. 

That every muscle may attend thy will, 

How every tendon acts upon the bone. 

And how the nerves receive their nicer tone ; 

Convey the keen vibrations of the sense. 

And give the wakeful mind intelligence ; 

How some strong guard each vital part sustains ; 

How flows the purple balsam through the veins ; 

That, how commixt, dispos'd how wonderous these, 

Here in one trunk, there ramified like trees; 

The finer vessels of the brain how small. 

How numberless ? and yet we see not all : — 

?lC 5ji ^ ^fC ^ ^ 

Vain is all praise, unless by Wisdom given ; 
Her's is the praise of every harp in heaven. 
Music is all her own, she tunes the spheres. 
And sets to numbers, hours, days, months, and years. 

i^ *T* ^ *}^ 5{c 5ji 

Attunes the strings of joy, and charms despair ; 
Calms to sweet peace, and opes the door of prayer; 
Gives the sick soul with livelier hopes to rise, 
And seek an heritage beyond the skies. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 2T5 

This volume of creation displays the wisdom, power, 
and goodness of God. What wonderful contrivance, 
what wise adaptation of one part to another ; what 
power in upholding ; what goodness in preserving the 
myriads of creatures which fill the air, the earth, the 
sea! 



If, traveller, in dull apathy, thou stray. 
Blind to the beauties of the rural way, 
Rouse from thy lethargy, and learn to prize 
The pleasures Providence for man supplies. 
Shall nature's Author decorate the plain 
For thy delight, and decorate in vain ? 
Forbid the thought ! enjoy the bounty given, 
And thus co-operate with bounteous heaven. 
And thou, o'er whom afiliction's ruthless hand 
Hath shed the terrors of her ebon wand ; 
Whose feeling mind, with sable grief opprest, 
Cannot, e'en in these calm retreats, find rest : 
Yet pause ; and, while thy languid eye surveys 
The fair expanse, attempt the Maker's praise. 
Behold the feathered race : for, of them all 
None can, without the heavenly Father, fall ; 
How then art thou protected ? Quit thy care ; 
Confide in Him who numbers every hair ; 
And join the mute, and join the vocal train. 
To celebrate the glories of his reign. 
And ye, whose youthful breasts, from sorrow free. 
Drink rapture from the vernal charms ye see ; 
Rest not content the workmanship t'admire, 
But to still greater, purer joys aspire. 
These beauteous forms that deck our seats below, 
Are of his pa,ace, but the portico. 



276 GMIANINGS FROM 

Then " knock" in faith, with filial duty bold, 
And strive the interior splendours to behold. 
Enter his blissful courts, and entering, raise 
The voice of adoration, love, and praise. 

We stand upon the sea-shore, and survey with admir- 
ing delight the wide extended ocean, whose distant 
waters lose themselves in the blue horizon. But what is 
this great abyss of waters, compared to that ocean of 
Almighty love, which is without a bottom and a shore. 



In every object here I see 
Something, Lord ! that leads to thee. 
Firm as the rocks thy promise stands, 
Thy mercies countless as the sands, 
Thy love a sea immensely wide. 
Thy grace an ever-flowing tide. 

In every object here I see 
Something, my heart, that points to thee. 
Hard as the rocks that bound the strand. 
Unfruitful as the barren sand, 
Deep and deceitful as the ocean. 
And, like the tides, in constant motion. 



W. Jenkyn, who died in the year 1685, partook, with 
others, of the persecutions of the day ; and when at last 
committed to Newgate, petitioned the king for a release, 
his physicians declaring that his life was in danger from 
his Ciose confinement. But no answer could be obtained 
but this : — " Jenkyn shall be a prisoner as long as he 
lives." This was most rigorously adhered to, for he 
died in Newgate. He was, however, greatly supported ; 
and said to one of his friends, " What a vast difi'erence 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 277 

there is "between this and my first imprisonment ! Then 
I was full of doubts and fears, of grief and anguish ; 
and well I might, for going out of God's way and my 
calling, to meddle with things that did not belong to 
me. But now, when I was found in the way of my duty, 
in my Master's business, though I suffer even to bonds, 
yet I am comforted beyond measure. The Lord sheds 
abroad his love sensibly in my heart ; I feel it, I have 
assurance of it." Turning to some who were weeping 
by him, he said, " Weep ye for me? Christ lives, he 
is my friend; a friend born for adversity; a friend that 
never dies. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, 
and for your children." 

A nobleman having heard of his death, said to the 
king, " May it please your Majesty, Jenkyn has got his 
liberty." Upon which he asked with eagerness, "Aye, 
who gave it him ?" The nobleman replied, ''A greater 
than your Majesty, the King of kings;" with which 
the king seemed much struck, and remained silent. 



Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, 
even the Most High, thy habitation^ there shall no evil 
befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy 
dwelling. — Psalm xci. 9, 10. 



Call Jehovah thy salvation, 

Rest beneath the Almighty's shade ; 
In his secret habitation, 

Dwell, nor ever be dismay'd : 
There no tumult can alarm thee, 

Thou shalt dread no hidden snare ; 
Guile, nor violence, can harm thee, 

In eternal safeguard there. 
24 



278 GLEANINGS FROM 

From the sword at noon-day wasting, 

From the noisome pestilence, 
In the depth of midnight blasting, 

God shall be thy sure defence. 
Fear not thou the deadly quiver, 

When a thousand feel the blow ; 
Mercy shall thy soul deliver. 

Though ten thousand be laid low. 

Only with thine eye, the anguish 

Of the wicked thou shalt see, 
When by slow disease they languish. 

When they perish suddenly ; 
Thee, though winds and waves be swelling, 

God, thine hope, shall bear through all; 
Plague shall not come nigh thy dwelling, 

Thee no evil shall befall. 

He shall charge his angel-legions, 

Watch and ward o'er thee to keep 
Though thou walk through hostile regions. 

Though in desert-wilds thou sleep. 
On the lion vainly roaring, 

On his young thy foot shall tread. 
And the dragon's den exploring, 

Thou shalt bruise the serpent's head. 

Since, with pure and firm affection, 

Thou on God hast set thy love. 
With the wings of His protection, 

He will shield thee from above : 
Thou shalt call on Him in trouble, 

He will hearken. He will save ; 
Here, for grief reward thee double. 

Crown with life beyond the grave. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 279 

None in this probationary state can rationally look for 
unmixed happiness. Every one must pass through diffi- 
culties in their journeying through this vale of tears. > 

In the floods of tribulation, 
While the billows o'er me roll, 

Jesus whispers consolation, 

And supports my fainting soul. 



If the votaries of pleasure, who are busy pursuing 
their wild career, hastening through paths strewed with 
roses to the regions of eternal woe, could but enjoy for 
one hour, that sweet serenity, that calm and peaceful 
tranquillity, which diffuses itself over the soul of the true 
Christian, with what new and inexpressible sensations 
would they be filled ! would they not cheerfully renounce 
those vanities which had so often been to them sources of 
gratification, and embrace all those conditions which are 
annexed to the promise of a blissful immortality ? 



How wanting wisdom, they who fondly turn 
To joys of earth, nor from experience learn 
That satisfaction rests not here below, 
Where many a hope indulged entails a woe ; 
He who in mercy infinite has given 
The glorious prize to win — eternal Heaven, 
Place man on earth to prove him and refine, 
And fit him through eternity to shine ; 
Not to become an animated clod, 
Bound to the soil, regardless of his God, 
But bursting from the tenement of clay. 
To soar a seraph, in the realms of day. 



Business, pleasure, and reputatioi), when they get the 



280 GLEANINGS FROM 

ascendancy, make self-examination an irksome and un- 
pleasant duty. When a Christian professor is too eager 
in pursuit of them, he always feels a conviction of delin- 
quency, depriving him of that free and noble air which 
is ever the concomitant of an approving conscience ; and 
filling his mind with feeble apologies for himself, or with 
unjust censures against his superiors in piety. i 



Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of 
salvation. Seek ye the Lord ivhile he may he found, call 
ye upon him lohile he is near, lest you resemble the 
Roman Emperor, who, in his dying moments, said, ^' My 
poor, vagrant soul, whither art thou going ?" or the un- 
helieviiig Voltaire, who declared to his physician, he 
-would give half his fortune to have his life lengthened 
half-a-year ; or the Jewish Rabbi, who said to those that 
asked him why he wept, " If they were carrying me be- 
fore a king of flesh and blood, who is here to-day, and 
to-morrow in the grave ; who may bring me into bond- 
age, but cannot keep me there, only for a season ; who 
may destroy my body, but cannot touch my soul, even 
in these circumstances, I should weep. But now I am 
going before the King of kings, the only blessed God, 
■who liveth and endureth forever and ever, who, if I die 
impenitent, will consign me to the pit whence there is no 
redemption." 



How swift the torrent rolls, 

That hastens to the sea ; 
How strong the tide that bears our souls 

On to eternity. 



Never was a more bountiful provision made for the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 281 

happiness of Christians, than in that injunction of their 
blessed Master — Love one another. 



The prospect of everlasting salvation presented to 
Christians by the Gospel is so unspeakably glorious and 
affecting, that it may well excite astonishment, as well as 
Borrow, to observe how small is its influence upon mankind 
compared with the authority which even a moment's 
reflection convinces us it ought to possess. 



It highly concerns us to do that now^ which, if neg- 
lected, we shall most wish we had done when we come 
to die. 



" By faring deliciously every day, men may become 
indifferent to the evils of mankind, inapprehensive of the 
troubles of their brethren, unconcerned in the changes 
of the world, and the cries of the poor, the hunger of 
the fatherless, and the thirst of widows," and, alas! what 
is more, of the state of their own souls ! 



True religion is a prevailing principle, extending to 
its control without intermission, and regulating all the 
concerns and interests with which we are engaged. 
Some of the tenderest appeals to the human understand- 
ing, and many of the clearest discoveries of Divine love 
and mercy, were made to the primitive Christians in the 
ordinary duties and employments of life 



Much of the beauty of Scripture is lost to us for want 
of spiritual discernment. Let us remember that our 
heavenly Father giveth the Holy Spirit to them that 
ash him.. Luke xi. 13. 



282 GLEANINGS FROM 

As the diamond hid in clay 



Conceals its sparkling hue 
Till light irradiates the ray 
Which glitters in our view — 

So sacred truth, that jewel bright, 

Emits no lucid ray, 
Till God's own Spirit yields a light, 

To chase our mists away. 



Virtue, to become either vigorous or useful, must be 
habitually active ; not breaking forth occasionally with 
a transient lustre, like the blaze of the comet ; but reg- 
ular in its returns, like the light of day: not like the 
aromatic gale which sometimes feasts the sense; but 
like the ordinary breeze, which purifies the air, and 
renders it healthful. 



The religion of Jesus is a religion of peace. The 
angels sang, Grlory to God in the highest, on earth peace, 
good will tovjards men, when they announced to the 
wondering shepherds the glad tidings of the Saviour's 
birth. Wherever the power of the Gospel is felt, there 
joy and peace reign : the wilderiiess and the solitary 
place shall he glad for them ; and the desert shall rejoice 
and blossom as the rose : it shall blossom abundantly, 
and rejoice even ivith joy and singing. 



Some men will follow Christ on certain conditions ; — 
if he will not lead them through rough roads, — if he will 
not enjoin them any painful tasks — if the sun and wind 
do not annoy them — if he will remit a part of his plan 
and order. But the true Christian, who has the spirit 
of Jesus, will say, as Ruth said to Naomi, Whither thou 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 283 

goest^ I will go, whatever difficulties and dangers may 
be in the way. 

Take my poor heart just as it is, 
And set up there thy throne ; 

So shall I love thee above all, 
And live to thee alone. 



How delightful the society and influence of the godly 
man, who to brother!?/ kindness adds charity ! 

When one that holds communion with the skies 
Has filled his urn where these pure waters rise. 
And once more mingles with us, meaner things, 
'Tis e'en as if an angel shook his wings ; 
Immortal fragrance fills the circuit wide, 
That tells us whence his treasures are supplied. 



A slandering tongue is called a triple tongue by the 
Jews, because, as they say, it kills three persons — him 
that carries the slander, him that receives it, and him 
of whom it is related. 



The man that dares traduce, because he can 
With safety to himself, is not a man : 
An individual is a sacred mark. 
Not to be pierced in play, or in the dark. 



(Brooks.) — I think there is no Christian, but sooner 
or later, first or last, shall have cause to say with David, 
*' False witnesses did rise up, they laid to my charge 
things that I knew not ; Psalm xxv. 11. They charged 
me with such things whereof I was both innocent and 
ignorant. It was the saying of one, that there was no- 



284 GLEANIXGS FROM 

thing so intolerable as accusation, because there was no 
punishment ordained by law for accusers, as there was 
for thieves, although they stole friendship from men, 
which is the goodliest riches men can have. Well, 
Christians ! seeing it has been the lot of the dearest 
saints to be falsely accused, and to have their names and 
reputes in the world reproached, do you hold your peace, 
seeing it is no worse with you than it was with them, of 
whom this world was not worthy. 



Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak 
grievous things profoundly and contemptuously against 



the righteous. Psalm xxxi. 18. 



The great commands of our holy lawgiver, Christ 
Jesus, " Judge not that ye be not judged," and "First 
cast out the beam out of thine own eye," are of binding 
obligation upon those who are waiting for the coming 
of his kingdom, and very needful to be practised by 
all who are making profession of his mild and merci- 
ful religion. 



Blessings are laid up for the faithful and their pos- 
terity, and true riches are bestowed upon them, with as 
much of this world's possessions as is profitable for 
them. In the darkest hours of affliction and trial, the 
lio-ht of hope and peace will spring up within them, and 
seasonable relief shall turn their mourning into joy. 

Comfort take, thou child of sorrow, 

All is ordered well for thee ; 
Look not to the anxious morrow — 

" As thy days, thy strength shall be." 

Child of grief, does this world move thee? 
Transient scene of transient pain ! 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 285 

Think ! oh think ! of worlds above thee, 
Countless worlds — a glorious train ! 

There are mansions now preparing 

For the chosen sons of God- 
Here a pilgrim, and wayfaring, 

There shall be thy long abode ! 

There shalt thou abide for ever, 

With thy Best and Greatest Friend ; 

Nought from him thy soul shall sever, 
In a world that knows no end. 

There, amidst assembled nations, 

Eye to eye, and face to face. 
Thou shalt see thy tribulations, 

Sent as messengers of grace. 

Comfort take, then, child of sorrow. 

All is ordered well for thee ; 
Look not for the anxious morrow — 

"As thy days, thy strength shall be." 



It is the greatest happiness in this world to live much 
in the exercise of faith : no man lives so free, so holy, 
so heavenly, so happy a life, as he that lives a life of 
faith. 



Mysterious are His ways, whose power 
Brings forth that unexpected hour. 
When minds that never met before 
Shall meet, unite, and part no more. 
It is the allotment of the skies, 
The hand of the supremely Wise, 
That guides and governs our affections. 
And plans and orders our connections, 



286 GLEANINGS FROM 

Directs us in our distant road, 

And marks the bounds of our abode. 

This page of providence quite new, 

And now just opening to our view, 

Employs our present thoughts and pains, 

To guess and spell what it contains ; 

But day by day, and year by year, 

AYill make the dark enigma clear, 

And furnish us, perhaps, at last, 

Like other scenes already past. 

With proof that we and our affairs 

Are part of a Jehovah's cares ; 

For God unfolds by slow degrees 

The purport of his deep decrees, 

Sheds every hour a clearer light, 

In aid of our defective sight. 

And spreads, at length, before the soul 

A beautiful and perfect whole. 



It is natural to men to desire their own peace, the 
quietness, and contentment of their minds : but most men 
miss the way to it ; and, therefore, find it not ; for there 
is no way to it indeed, but this one, wherein few seek it, 
viz. reconcilement and peace with God. The persuasion 
of that alone, makes the mind clear and serene, like your 
fairest summer days. 3Iy feace I give you, saith 
Christ, not as the world givetli, give I unto you. Let 
not your hearts he troubled. All the peace and favor 
of the world cannot calm a troubled breast ; but where 
this peace is that Christ gives, all the trouble and disquiet 
of the world cannot disturb it: When he giveth quiet- 
ness, who then can make troulle ? And when he hideth 
Ms face^ who then can behold him f Whether it he done 
against a nation, or against a man only. See also for 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 287 

this, Psalms xlvl., cxxlii. All outward distress to a 
mind thus at peace, is but as the rattling of the hail upon 
the tiles, to him that sits within the house at a sumptu- 
ous feast. A good conscience is called so; and with an 
advantage that no other feast can have, nor could men 
endure it. A few hours' feasting will weary the most 
professed epicure ; but a conscience thus at peace is a 
continual feast with continual unwearied delight. What 
makes the world take up such a prejudice against re- 
ligion, as a sour, unpleasant thing? They see the afflic- 
tions and griefs of Christians ; but they do not see their 
joys, the inward pleasure of mind that they can possess 
in a very hard estate. Have you not tried other ways 
enough ? Hath not he tried them that had more ability 
and skill for it than you, and found them not only 
vanity, but vexation of spirit ? If you have any belief 
of holy truth, put but this once upon the trial, seek 
peace in the way of grace. This inward peace is too 
precious a liquor to be poured into a filthy vessel. A 
holy heart, that gladly entertains grace, shall find that it 
and peace cannot dwell asunder. 



Two priests of Budhoo were brought over by Sir Alexan- 
der Johnstone, on his return from the island of Ceylon. 
They left their country and their friends, exposing them- 
selves to all kinds of privations, in order that they might 
come to England to be instructed in the truths of Chris- 
tianity. Dr. Adam Clarke, who most kindly took charge 
of them, says, under date of April 14, 1819 ; " On Friday 
evening I received a note from R. Sherborne, Esq. 
director, &c., of the great plate-glass manufactory at 
Ravenhead, with a present to Munhi Rat'hana and 
Dherma Rama, of two fine plates for toilette glasses, 
seventeen inches long by fifteen wide. As there was in 



288 GLEANIXGS FROM 

the house an upholsterer from Liverpool, I gave him the 
measurement to get proper frames made for them. The 
priests received them, inquired about the silvering, ad- 
mired the workmanship, but seemed to take no other 
interest in them. They were both silent, and appeared 
very pensive. I pressed the subject on their notice, and 
spoke of the kindness and affection of Mr. S., who has 
often visited them. At length Dherma spoke the senti- 
ments of both:-— ''We are obliged to Mr. Sherborne, 
but we will not have them. We came to England with- 
out money, without goods, without clothes, except our 
priests' garments ; we will take nothing back with us, 
but one coat a-piece, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the 
books you have promised us. No, if God give it, (that 
is, God being their helper.) we will take no presents ; 
and carry nothing from England, except what covers us, 
your Bible, and the gospel of Jesus Christ." 

An eminent minister, after having been silent in com- 
pany for a considerable time, being asked the reason, 
signified that the powers of his mind had been solemnly 
absorbed with the thought of eternal happiness. " 0, 
my friends," said he, with an energy that surprised all 
present, " consider what it is to be for ever with the 
Lord I — for ever, for ever, for ever I" 



Servant of God ! well done ; 

Rest from thy loved employ ; 
The battle fought, the victory won, 
Enter thy Master's joy. 



A practical testimony from the saints' lives hath great 
authority over the consciences of men, to convince them 
of the truth of the gospel; now they will believe it is 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 289 

good news indeed the gospel brings, when they read it 
in your cheerful lives ; but when they observe Christians 
sad, with this cup of salvation in their hands, truly they 
suspect the wine in it is not so good as is represented. 
Should men see all that trade to the Indies came home 
poorer than they went, it would be hard to persuade 
others to venture thither for all the golden mountains 
said to be there. Christians ! let the world see you 
are not losers in your joy, since you have been acquainted 
with the gospel ; give them not cause to think by your 
uncomfortable walking, that when they turn Christians, 
they must bid all joy farewell, and resolve to spend 
their days in a house of mourning. 



(Cecil.) — " Real religion is a living principle. Any 
one may make a show, and be called a Christian, and 
unite himself to a sect, and be admired ; but for a man 
to enter into the sanctuary to hold secret communica- 
tion with God ; to retire into his closet, and transact all 
his affairs with an unseen Saviour ; to walk with God, 
like Enoch, yet to smite upon his breast in the language 
of the publican, having no confidence in the flesh, and 
triumphing only in Christ Jesus ; these are the life and 
acts of a new creature." 



The Christian's hope is '' full of immortality." It tra- 
verses the valley of the shadow of death, and opens to 
his view the boundless prospect of eternal glory. It 
gathers, by delightful anticipation, many a precious clus- 
ter of the grapes of Eschol, and thus gives a foretaste 
of the joys of heaven. 

Surely that night cometh of which thou wilt never see 
the morning, and that morning of which thou wilt never 



290 GLEANINGS FROM 

see the night. Let, therefore, the mantle of worldly 
enjoyments hang loose about thee. 

(Joseph Hughes.) — The following is a passage from 
the beautiful letter he addressed to the committee of 
the British and Foreign Bible Society, on the resigna- 
tion, just before his death, of his long-held office of 
Secretary : " The office has, I believe, greatly helped 
me in the way to heaven. But now my great Lord 
seems to say, I have dissolved the commission — thy 
work in this department is done — yield cheerfully to my 
purpose, and prepare to enter those blessed abodes where 
the labors of the Bible Society shall reveal a more glori- 
ous consummation than the fondest hope had antici- 
pated." It appears that in the conflicts of nature, which 
were considerable, this aged veteran was permitted to 
enjoy abundant consolation, and to bow with more than, 
resignation to the Divine will. Once remarking, "If 
the portico be so ample, what will the temple itself be V 



Hast thou ever been called to visit the death-hed of a 
Christian ? If not, it may one day be thy lot, and then 
thou wilt know that the sacred happiness he feels in the 
contemplation of a world of glory, and m the assurance 
of an interest in the Saviour's blood and righteousness, 
is something more than an illusion : behold him while 
the cold drops of perspiration roll off his temples, and his 
articulation is almost stopped, serenely yielding up his 
breath to the power that gave him existence ; see him 
become the comforter of all around him, and while the 
name of Jesus rests upon his dying lips, express a smile 
of gratitude and joy ; the bitterness of death is ah^ead> 
passed, and the heavenly convoy waiting to conduct his 
spirit to the happy regions of immortality. Who would not 
wish for such an end ? May it be mine, may it be thine ! 



PIOUS AUTHOKS. 291 

How bless'd the righteous when he dies ! 

When sinks a weary soul to rest. 
How mildly beam the closing eyes; 

How gently heaves th' expiring breast. 

So fades a summer cloud away, 
So sinks the gale when storms are o'er, 

So gently shuts the eye of day, 
So dies a wave along the shore. 

A holy quiet reigns around, 

A calm which life nor death destroys ; 
Nothing disturbs that peace profound, 

Which his unfettered soul enjoys. 



Zo, we have left all^ and foUoiued thee, — Markx. 28. 

Jesus, I my cross have taken, 

All to leave and follow thee ; 
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, 

Thou, from hence, my all shall be; 
Perish every fond ambition. 

All I've sought, or hoped, or known ; 
Yet how rich is my condition, 

God and heaven are still my own. 

Let the world despise and leave me ; 

They have left my Saviour, too ; 
Human hearts and looks deceive me, 

Thou art not, like them, untrue : 
And whilst thou shalt smile upon me, 

God of wisdom, love, and might, 
Foes may hate, and friends disown me . 

Show thy face, and all is bright. 



292 GLEANINGS FROM 

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, 

Come disaster, scorn, and pain. 
In thy service, pain is pleasure, 

With thy favour loss is gain. 
I have called thee, Abba, Father, 

I have set my heart on thee, 
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, 

All must work for good to me. 

Man may trouble and distress me, 

'Twill but drive me to thy breast; 
Life with trials hard may press me, 

Heaven will bring the sweeter rest. 
Oh ! 'tis not in grief to harm me. 

While thy love is left to me ; 
Oh ! 'twere not in joy to charm me. 

Were that joy unmixed with thee. 

Soul, then know thy full salvation. 

Rise o'er sin, and fear, and care, 
Joy to find in every station 

Something still to do or bear. 
Think what spirit dwells within thee ; 

Think what Father's smiles are thine; 
Think that Jesus died to win thee : 

Child of heaven, canst thou repine ? 

Haste thee on from grace to glory, 

Arm'd by faith, and wing'd by prayer, 
Heaven's eternal days before thee, 

God's own hand shall guide thee there. 
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, 

Soon shall pass thy pijgrim days ; 
Hope shall change to glad fruition, 

Faith to sight, and prayer to praise. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 293 

"When Bernard Gilpin was on his way to London to 
be tried before the Popish party, he broke his leg by a 
fall, which put a stop for some time to his journey. 
The person in whose custody he was, took occasion to 
retort upon him an observation he used frequently to 
make, " that nothing happens to the people of God, but 
what is intended for their good ;" asking him, "Whether 
he thought his broken leg was so?" He answered 
meekly: " He made no question but it was." And so 
it proved ; for before he was able to travel, Queen 
Mary died. Being thus providentially rescued, he re- 
turned to Houghton, through crowds of people, express- 
ing the utmost joy, and blessing God for his deliverance. 

Yes ! there's a power, who through this sinking scene 

Can keep the soul unshaken and serene ; 

Can sweeten every blessing to the taste, 

And make amends for all that time can waste, 

Where Providence our glory can advance. 

From every ill we call the work of chance ; 

Can set us free amidst a land of slaves, 

And lead us safely o'er affliction's waves, 

To plant our feet upon a happier shore, 

Where time, and chance, and death, are felt no more. 



When the heart is once truly given to God ; when 
the affections flow delightfully towards him ; when the 
will is swallowed up in the Divine will ; when the whole 
soul is devoted to the service of its Creator, Preserver, 
and Redeemer ; then the fruits of righteousness will 
appear and abound ; then joy and peace will gladden 
the heart ; and hope and love will unite to prepare the 
believer for his eternal rest. 

25* 



294 GLEANINGS FROM 

(Memoir of Mary Fletcher.) — " One day, from a 
little circumstance which occured when I was about 
four years old, I received such a conviction that God 
heareth prayer, that it often administered much comfort 
to me in seasons of trial and danger." 



True prayer hath no necessary commerce with the 
outward members of the body ; for it requires not the 
voice, but the mind — not the stretching of the hands, 
but the intention of the soul — not any outward shape 
or carriage of the body, but the inward behaviour of 
the understanding. Can it then slacken thy worldly 
business and occasions, to mix with them sighs and 
groans, which are the most effectual kinds of prayer ? 



Sbrle on singing praises to God. — " The first of 
all earthly singers gave this as an inspired rule ; ' Sing 
ye praises with understanding.' Without spiritual un- 
derstanding, we can only make a noise. Unless we 
know how deeply we are indebted to God, and have the 
sweet sense of his goodness in our souls, we may please 
ourselves with a tune, but we yield no music to him. 
Some of old ' chanted to the sound of the viol, and 
invented to themselves instruments of music ;' but, at 
the same time, they were among those who were * at 
ease in Zion,' and who put far away the evil day, to 
whom woe was denounced. God never instituted music 
in his service, however, like other carnal ordinances, 
he might bear with it under the Jewish economy ; but only 
trumpets and ram's horns to usher in the seasons and 
solemnities. It is spiritual harmony which is the 
delight of heaven, and not outward jingle and sound ; 
and therefore if we are not spiritual, we can have no 
true notion of this delight, nor 'make melody in our 
hearts to the Lord.' The thrills of music, and the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 295 

divine joys of the souls, are very different things. 
Worldly men have had the first, and thought them 
from heaven : but they continued no longer than the 
sound ; while the peace of gracious power is full, sub- 
lime, and abiding. We must, indeed, be real Chris- 
tians, before any of us can say with the Apostle, ' I 
will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the un- 
derstanding also ; I will sing with the spirit, and I will 
sing with the understanding also.' " • 

King Henry III. used to say, he would rather spend 
one hour with God in prayer, than hear others speak 
of him for ten. 



All men shun misery, and aim to be happy; but it is 
not enough considered that misery springs from sin, 
and that happiness can only be enjoyed in the favor 
of God. 



Gladness thy sacred presence brings, 
More than the joyful reaper knows ; 

Or he who treads the grapes, and sings. 
While with new wine his vat o'erflows. 

In peace I lay me down to sleep ; 

Thine arm, Lord, shall stay my heaa, 
Thine angel spread his tent, and keep 

His midnight watch around my bed. 



The days of the believer's mourning shall be ended; 
though they appear tedious, they are but for a moment, 
compared with that eternal happiness which they are 
working out for him. 



Blessed are they that mourns for they shall he com- 
forted. Matt. v. 4. 



296 GLEANINGS FROM 

"Poor and afflicted," Lord, are thine, 
Amoncr the o^reat unfit to shine ; 
But though the worhi may think it strange, 
They -would not with the world exchange. 

"Poor and afflicted," 'tis their lot, 
They know it, and they murmur not ; 
'Twould ill become them to refuse 
The state their Master deign'd to choose. 

"Poor and afflicted," yet they sing. 
For Jesus is their glorious King; 
Through perfect sufferings now he reigns. 
And shares in all their grief and pains. 

"Poor and afflicted," but ere long 
They join the bright, celestial throng ; 
Their sufferings then will reach a close, 
And heaven afford them sweet repose. 

And while they walk the thorny way, 
How oft are heard to sigh and say — 
" Dear Saviour, come, quickly come ! 
And take thy mourning pilgrims home." 



Can any words more beautifully describe the blessed- 
ness of trusting in God, than those of the twenty-third 
Psalm : The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He 
maketh me to lie down in green 2oastures : he leadeth me 
heside the still waters. He restoreth my soul ; he leadeth 
me in the paths of righteousness for Ms names sake. 
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil : for thou art with me, thy rod 
and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table 
before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anoint- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 29T 

est my head tvith oil : my cup runneth over. Surely 
goodness and mercy shall folloiv me all the days of my 
life, and I will diuellin the house of the Lord for ever. 
What cheerfulness, what courage, what peace, holy 
gratitude, and heavenly piety, breathe through this no- 
ble composition. These are the rewards of placing our 
confidence in God ; and however our timid hearts and 
wavering intellects may deceive us, these are the true 
and everlasting sources of happiness. These are the 
riches with which no stranger intermeddles. 



Affliction^ says the apostle, is not joyous^ hut grievous. 
Hence outward troubles may damp the believer's joy, 
while he looks off from the Saviour to the boisterous 
wind and waves which rage around him. Peter did so, 
and began to sink. Faith, however, clings fast to the 
Saviour, and exults in the storm. 



The Lord can clear the darkest skies, 
Can give us day for night ; 

Make drops of sacred sorrow rise 
To rivers of delight. 



Grace in time will be glory in eternity. 



Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, 
Till sun shall rise and set no more. 



The Christian's hope is " a lively hope." It gives the 
believer vigour in running the race that is set before 
him. It animates him in his arduous warfare. It en- 
ables him to endure with patience and fortitude the 
rugged path which he has to travel Zion-ward. 



298 GLEANINGS FRG^t 

When we seldom retire for holy converse with God, 
is there not great reason to suspect some latent, though 
perhaps unconscious, repugnance to the more silent, 
unobtrusive offices of secret devotion ? 



If the inner man be but strengthened day by day, 
under the renewing influences of the Holy Spirit, no 
matter how soon the outward is dissolved. 



God is ever present, ever felt, 

In the void waste as in the city full ; 

And where He vital breathes, there must be joy. 

When even at last the solemn hour shall come, 

And wing my mystic flight to future worlds, 

I cheerful will obey ; there with new povrers, 

Will rising wonders sing : I cannot go 

Where universal love smiles not around, 

Sustaining all your orbs, and all their suns ; 

From seeming evil still educing good, 

And better thence again, and better still, 

In infinite progression. But I lose 

Myself in Him, in Light Inefi'able ; 

Come, then, expressive Silence, muse His praise. 



The heart of man cannot fix anywhere to its satisfac- 
tion, but in the truth of God, and there it finds firm 
footing. Those whose hearts are established by faith, 
will patiently wait till they have gained their point. It 
will complete the satisfaction of the saints when they 
shall look back upon their troubles and pressures, and be 
able to say with the apostle, when he had recounted the 
persecutions he endured. But out of them all the Lord 
delivered me. 2 Tim. iii. 11. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 299 

It has often been the lot of those that do well, to be 
evil spoken of. God can silence lying lips ; to him we 
may appeal ; he will clear up our righteousness as the 
light. Reproach and contempt may humble and do us 
good, and then they shall be removed. Let us beware of 
that way of escape which the insincere are ever ready to 
pursue in returning to the world. The desire to escape 
the cross will increase the difficulties in our path. Every 
compliance with the world, against the voice of God, is 
a step into by-paths, which deviate wider and wider 
from the strait and narrow way. Do we find the 
weight of the cross above that we are able ? He that 
bore it for us will enable us to bear it for him : upheld 
by him, we cannot sink. 



"While the souls of the children of the world cleave 
to the dust of the earth as their portion, and have no 
uneasiness about it, the children of light are often 
greatly burdened, because of the remains of carnal 
affections in their hearts. 



Behold how sinners disagree, 
The Publican and Pharisee ! 
One doth his righteousness proclaim. 
The other owns his guilt and shame. 

This man at humble distance stands, 
And cries for grace with lifted hands ; 
That boldly rises near the throne, 
And talks of duties he has done. 

The Lord their different language Rnows, 
And different answers he bestows ; 
The humble soul with grace he crowns. 
Whilst on the proud his anger frowns. 



800 GLEANINGS FROM 

He that would sound the depths of Scripture truths 
by the plummet of human reason, will find his line too 
short. The humble Christian, like the seraphim, covers 
his face before the Infinite Majesty of Heaven, and 
exclaims, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom 
and knowledge of Grod! 



So He ordained, whose way is in the sea, 
His path amidst great waters, and his steps 
Unknown ; — whose judgments are a mighty deep, 
Where plummets of archangel's intellect 
Could never yet find soundings ; but from age 
To age let down, drawn up, then thrown again, 
With lengthen'd line and added weight, still fails; 
And still the cry in Heaven is, the depth! 

Angel of hope ! sweet regent of the hour 
That gives to things unseen their awful power ! 
Come and dispel each dark, impending shade. 
The child of sorrow calls thee to her aid : 
Tell her the Godhead, from his throne sublime, 
Plans for Eternity, as well as Time ; 
Tell her that when his ministers destroy 
The transient bud of sublunary joy, 
'Tis to engraft upon the living root 
The scion bearins: his immortal fruit. 



Would not the thoughtless and irreligious be more 
likely to consider the ways of God, if there were more 
of a heavenly lustre and beauty upon Christians' lives 
in their several relations ? Sometimes a book is read 
the sooner for the fairness of the characters, which 
would have been not much looked in, if the print had 
been less attractive. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 301 

Happy are the families who are walking hand in hand 
together, as pilgrims towards the heavenly country I 

Lord ! it is not life to live, 
If thy presence thou deny ! 

Lord ! if thou thy presence give, 
'Tis no longer death — to die. 



Our enemies may strip us of our external distinctions 
and ornaments; but wisdom and grace cannot be taken 
from us. They may separate us from friends, relatives, 
and country ; but they cannot deprive us of the presence 
of the Lord. They may exclude us from outward bless- 
ings, rob us of liberty, and confine us in dungeons ; but 
they cannot shut us out from communion with God, 
seclude us from the throne of grace, or bereave us of the 
blessings of salvation. 



Free by birth 

Of no mean city, planned or ere the hills 
Were built, the fountains opened, or the sea. 
With all his roaring multitude of waves. 
His freedom is the same in every state ; 
And no condition of this changeful life. 
So manifold in cares, whose every day 
Brings its own evil with it, makes it less : 
For he has wings, that neither sickness, pain, 
Nor penury, can cripple or confine ; 
No nook so narrow but he spreads them there 
With ease, and is at large. The oppressor holds 
His body bound; but knows not what a range 
His spirit takes, unconscious of a chain ; 
And that to bind him is a vain attempt 
Whom God delights in, and in whom he dwells. 



302 GLEANINGS FEOM 

A similarity of feelings in the experience of the 
pious has often been remarked, and has been justly con- 
sidered a strong evidence of the Divine origin of experi- 
mental religion : for how otherwise can this uniformity 
of the views and feelings of the pious in all ages and 
countries, be accounted for ? 



A heavenly mind is the nearest and truest way to a 
life of comfort. The countries far north are cold and 
frozen, because they are distant from the sun. And 
what makes such frozen, uncomfortable Christians, but 
their living so far from heaven ? If we would try this 
life with God, and keep these hearts above, what a spring 
of joy would be within us I If, as David professes, the 
light of God's countenance more gladdens the heart than 
corn and wine ; then, surely, they that draw nearest, and 
most behold it, must be fullest of these joys. Whom 
should we blame, then, that we are so void of consola- 
tion, but our own negligent hearts ? God hath provided 
us a crown of glory, and promised to set it shortly on 
our heads, and we will not so much as think of it. He 
bids us behold and rejoice, and we will not so much as 
look at it ; and yet we complain for want of comfort. 
It is by believing that we are filled with joy and peace, 
and no longer than we continue believing. It is in 
hope the saints rejoice, and no longer than they continue 
hoping. The Holy Spirit worketh our comforts, by 
setting our own spirits on work upon the promises, and 
raising our thoughts to the source of our comforts. 
He does not bestow our joys while w^e are idle, or taken 
up with other things. He gives the fruits of the earth 
"while we plough, and sow, and weed, and water, and 
dung, and dress, and with patience expect his blessing; 
so does he give the joys of the soul. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 303 

True happiness is not the growth of earth ; 

The toil is fruitless if you seek it here; 
'Tis an exotic of celestial birth, 

And blossoms only in celestial air. 

Sweet plant of Paradise ! thy seed is sown, 
In here and there a spot of heavenly mould ; 

It rises slow, and buds, but ne'er was found 
To blossom here, the climate is too cold. 



Civility, or good manners, though one of the minor 
duties, is of no small importance in our passage through 
life : when we are in the company of virtuous persons, 
it is peculiarly proper to treat them with respect ; and 
this duty on such occasions, is admitted to be of indis- 
pensable obligation. But even when our necessary con- 
cerns lead us among'persons whose characters are excep- 
tionable, they are entitled to civil behavior; and our in- 
fluence with them is promoted by showing it. If we 
should think it necessary to manifest our disapprobation 
of their principles or conduct, it should be done consist- 
ently with good manners, as well as in a Christian spirit. 
Indeed, if our minds were imbued with meekness and hu- 
mility, we should rarely, if ever, violate the rules of civ- 
ility. 

Death, as on the wings of an angel, flies from house 
to house, proclaiming to each inhabitant in turn, Time 
with thee shall he no longer. 



Time, whither dost thou flee ? 
1 travel to eternity. 

Eternity, what art thou ? — say : 

Time past, time present, time to come — to-day. 



304 GLEANmGS FROM 

Reader, if thou art indeed a Christian, anticipate in 
idea that triumphant moment, when having cast thy 
crown at the fo.ot of the eternal throne, thou shalt be 
called to give an account of thy conduct, and as far as 
has depended on thee, of that of thine offspring ! Think 
of the multiplied felicities of meeting, in the presence 
of God those whom thy example and instruction have, 
through his grace, contributed to bring thither ! Think 
what it will be to be able, amidst all the hosts of heaven, 
amidst the innumerable company of angels, and the 
spirits of just men made perfect — think of being able 
to say to the Universal Father, Behold i, and the chil- 
dren whom thou hast given me ! 



Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, 
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. 
Had not David a most heavenly spirit, who was so much 
in this heavenly work ? Doth it not sometimes raise 
our hearts, when we only read the Song of Moses, and 
the Psalms of David ? How much more would it raise 
and refresh us, to be skilful and frequent in the work 
ourselves ! 0, the loss to many of the saints, who 
drench their spirits in continual sadness, and waste their 
days in complaints and groans, and so make themselves, 
both in body and mind, unfit for this sweet and heav- 
enly work ? Instead of being employed in the praises 
of God, they are questioning their worthiness, and study- 
ing their miseries, and so rob God of his glory, and 
themselves of their consolation. 



The Christian's trade is heavenly ; the merchandise 
he deals for is of the growth of that heavenly coun- 
try. — Our conversation is in heaven. Phill. iii. 20. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 305 

Lord, thy heavenly grace impart, 
And fix my frail, inconstant heart ; 
Henceforth my chief desire shall be, 
To dedicate myself to thee ; — 
To thee, my God, to thee! 

Whatever pursuits my time employ, 
One thought shall fill my soul with joy ; 
That silent, secret thought shall be. 
That all my hopes are fixed on thee : — 
On thee, my God, on thee ! 

Thy glorious eye pervadeth space, 
Thou'rt present, Lord, in every place ; 
And wheresoe'er my lot may be. 
Still shall my spirit cleave to thee: — 
To thee, my God, to thee ? 

Renouncing every worldly thing. 
Safe, 'neath the covert of thy wing, 
My sweetest thought henceforth shall be. 
That all I want I find in thee: — 
In thee, my God, in thee ! 



There is a proper mean between undistinguishing 
credulity, and universal jealousy, which a sound under- 
standing discerns, and which the man of candour studies 
to preserve. 



Inshrine mercies in gratitude. 



Were there in worldly things any fixed point of se- 
curity which we could gain, the mind would then have 
some basis on which to rest. But our condition is such, 

that everything wavers and totters around us. Boast 
26* 



306 



GLEAXIX&S TROM 



not thyself of to-morroiv ; for tJiou hioivest not what a 
day may hring forth. 



The veil Trhich covers from our sight the events of suc- 
ceeding years, is a veil woven by the hand of mercy. 

let thy hand support me still, 
And lead me to thy holy hill. 

(John Frederic Oberlix.) — ="It is," says his bio- 
grapher, "interesting to trace the germ of those dis- 
positions which, when ripened into maturity, bring 
forth remarkable fruits:" thus, the self-denial, gener- 
osity, and benevolence which so peculiarly distinguished 
this great man, were manifest in his earliest infancy. 
The following is given as one among many evidences 
of it : — ^' Passing one day by the stall of an old clothes 
Tender, in Strasburg market, a poor infirm woman was 
endeavouring, without success, to procure an abatement 
in the price of some article she appeared to be par- 
ticularly desirous of purchasing. She wanted two sous 
to complete the sum demanded, and was on the point 
of leaving the stall from her inability to give them, 
when Frederic, pretending to be engaged with some- 
thing else, only waited for her retiring, when he slipped 
the two sous into the dealer's hand, and whispered him 
to call back the poor woman, and let her have the 
gown ; and then, without stopping for her thanks, in- 
stantly ran away." His father, a man of remarkable 
integrity, made a small allowance to his children, and 
it seemed Frederic's chief happiness to do good, when 
able, and impart of his little store. Even at a very 
early age, his frequent prayer was, '* Speak, Lord, for 
thy servant heareth. God teach me to do thy will." 
To his pious and highly accomplished mother, he often 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 307 

acknowledged himself indebted for his love of the 
"things that are excellent," and for the desire he sub- 
sequently felt of dedicating his talents and his powers 
to the good of others. "During my infancy and my 
youth," (he says) " God often vouchsafed to touch my 
heart, and to draw me to himself. He bore with me 
in my repeated backslidings, with a kindness and in- 
dulgence hardly to be expressed." 

As when a child, secure from harms, 

Hangs at the mother's breast, 
Safe folded in her anxious arms. 

Receiving food and rest ; 
And while, through many a painful path, 

The travelling parent speeds, 
The fearless babe, with passive faith, 

Lies still, and yet proceeds. 

Should some short start his quiet break, 

He fondly strives to fling 
His little arms about her neck, 

And closer seems to cling ; 
Poor child ! maternal love alone 

Preserves thee first and last ; 
Thy parent's arms, and not thine own, 

Are those that hold thee fast. 

So souls that would to Jesus cleave, 

And hear his secret call. 
Must every fair pretension leave, 

And let the Lord be all : 
"Keep close to me, thou helpless sheep,'* 

The shepherd softly cries: 
" Lord tell me what 'tis close to keep," 

The list'ning sheep replies. 



808 GLEANINGS FROM 

"Thy whole dependence on me fix; 

Nor entertain a thought, 
Thy worthless schemes with mine to mix, 

But venture to be nought : 
Fond self-direction is a shelf; — 

Thy strength, thy wisdom, flee ; — 
When thou art nothing in thyself, 

Thou then art close to me." 



True candor is altogether different from that guarded, 
inoffensive language, and that studied openness of be- 
haviour, so frequently met with among men of the 
world. Smiling very often is the aspect, and smooth 
are the words, of those who inwardly are the most ready 
to think evil of others. That candour, which is a Chris- 
tian virtue, consists, not in fairness of speech, but in 
fairness of heart. 



How clear it is to every man's observation, that the 
kindnesses and benefits any have done to the Lord's 
people have been rewarded with full measure into their 
bosoms. Publius, the chief man of the island of Melita, 
courteously received and lodged Paul, after his ship- 
wreck ; the Lord speedily paid him for that kindness 
and healed his father, who lay sick at that time of a 
fever. 



If Providence delays the performance of any mercy 
to thee, that thou hast long waited and prayed for, yet 
see that thou dost not despond, nor grow weary of 
waiting upon God. 

Still raise for good the supplicating voice. 

But leave to Heaven the measure and the choice : 



PIOUS AUTPIORS. 309 

Safe in His power whose ejes discern afar 
The secret ambush of a specious prayer ; 
Implore his aid, in his decisions rest, 
Secure whate'er he gives, he gives the best. 



Human life is compared to a sleep ; to the rapidity 
of a flood ; to a tale that is told ; to a vapour that ap- 
peareth for a little time ; to a flower which flourisheth 
in the morning, and in the evening is cut down and 
withered ; to vanity ; to a shadow that passeth away. 
Eternity, that solemn word, soon passes from the lip ; 
but who can grasp the mighty, the immense, idea, which 
this word ETERNITY conveys ? All thought is lost 
in its immensity, and swallowed up in its fathomless 
abyss. The mind may conceive, though faintly, of 
millions of ages heaped upon millions, till numbers lose 
themselves ; or rather till we are lost in the vast calcu- 
lation. But who can measure eternity ; compared with 
whose everlasting lines, myriads of years are infinitely 
less than atoms floating in the mid-day sun ? All men 
are hastening to eternity. All are standing upon the 
brink of an interminable state of being. Yet all, ex- 
cept the little flock of Christ, are living, as if life would 
never end ; and die, as if beyond the grave there was 
nothing to awaken their solicitous concern. 



If all the waters flowing round this earth. 

And with ten thousand times as much, were pent 

In a huge cistern, whose unwieldy bulk 

The whole contained; but at one leaky pore 

At certain periods should one drop dispense; 

And at the distance of ten thousand years 

Of intervening time, those periods fix; 



310 GLEAXINQS FROM 

— —Yet sooner twice ten thousand times the whole, 

Thus drop by drop shall drain the ocean dry, 

Than the duration of ETERNITY 

One moment of its endless term abridge. 

Then what avails it, whether here we taste 

Life's transient joys, or heart corroding cares; 

If we in peace may happ'ly end our race ; 

A race how like the shuttle's rapid flight. 

Or faint illusion of a morning dream. 



Engage in no pursuit of moment in which thou canst 
not look up unto God, and say. Bless me in tJiis, my 
Father I 



Life and its end. — Remember for what purpose 
thou wast born, and through the whole of thy life look 
at its end ; and consider when that comes, in what thou 
wilt put thy trust : not in the bubble of worldly van- 
ity — it will be broken ; not in worldly pleasures — they 
will be gone ; not in great connections — they cannot 
serve thee ; not in wealth — thou canst not carry it with 
thee ; not in rank — in the grave there is no distinction ; 
not in the recollection of a life spent in a giddy confor- 
mity to the silly fashions of a thoughtless and wicked 
world ; but in that of a life spent soberly^ righteously^ 
and godly in this present tvorld ; looking for that blessed 
hope and the glorious appearing of the great Grod and 
our Saviour Jesus Christ ; who gave himself for us, 
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify 
unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

Though wealth awaits thee with o'erflowing hand, 
And fame proclaims thy honours through the land, 
Though power, ease, and every gay delight, 
Flatter thy fancy e'en from morn to night ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. " 811 

Though pleasure woos thee with delusive charms, 

And binds in silken bands thy manly arms : 

Though health and strength their better blessings grant, 

And thou hast all a happy man can want, 

Full soon must all the summer-birds be gone, 

Take to their wings, and leave thee every one. 

Not a day passes, not a wind that blows, 

A wave that's ebbing, nor a tide that flows. 

But bears away some transitory joy. 

Some darling hope, or visionary toy. 

Bliss is a dream, and like a fleeting shade, 
Bedeck'd with flowers, that in an instant fade. 
Earth's hopes are bubbles, bursting ere they fall; 
And vanity of vanities is all. 



Christian charity increases our happiness with its own 
increase. A narrow, contracted spirit, under the influ- 
ence of prejudice, and blinded by fond partialities, can 
never enjoy the refined pleasures of Christian commu- 
nion. Such a spirit chills and freezes the soul ; it checks 
exertion, except when party is concerned ; and looks shy 
on those, however excellent, who " follow not us." Dis- 
tinction seems necessary in this state of imperfection ; 
but real Christians know well how to distinguish between 
the expansive character of the Gospel, and that undefined 
latitudinarianism, which would level all distinctions. 
There is a perfect consistency in preferring our own 
peculiar communion, to which we are attached from 
judgment and conscience ; and in loving those of other 
communions, who bear the image of the blessed Jesus. 



A consistency of character, with a prudent condes- 
cension and kindness to those placed under us, are means 



812 GLEANINGS FROM 

"which seldom fail of some good effect ; but when a whole 
family are united by spiritual ties, and act as under the 
eye of the same common master ; when the parlour and 
kitchen are in unison, domestic order, love, and peace, 
make a happy family indeed. 



A solitary blessing few can find ; 

Our joys with those we love are intertwined ; 

And he whose helpful tenderness removes 

The obstructing thorn that wounds the breast he loves, 

Smooths not another's rugged path alone, 

But scatters roses to adorn his own. 



Those young persons who will not avail themselves 
of the experience of their predecessors, must buy ex- 
perience themselves, and pay the cost. 



No one ever bitterly condemned himself, that he had 
spent his younger years soberly ; many have that they 
did not. 



We shall be most compassionate, kind, and forgiving 
to others, when we most feel our need of the Lord's 
forgiving love, and taste the sweetness of it in our own 
souls. 



He descants most on the failings of others who is 
least sensible of his own. 



None take reproof so well as those who most deserve 
to be commended. 



To criminate and recriminate never yet was the road 
to reconciliation. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 313 

None are so easily acquainted, so closely knit together, 
and so much endeared to one another, as real Christians. 



'Tis grace, 'tis bounty, and it calls for praise, 
If God give health, that sunshine of our days ! 
And if he add (a blessing shared by few) 
Content of heart, more praises still are due. 
But, if he grant a friend, that boon possess'd 
Indeed is treasure, and crowns all the rest; 
And giving one whose heart is in the skies. 
Born from above, and made divinely wise, 
He gives, what bankrupt nature never can. 
Whose noblest coin is light and brittle man; 
Gold purer far than Ophir ever knew, 
A soul, an image of himself, and therefore true. 



(Memoir of Samuel Kilpin.) — "When seven years 
old, I was left in charge of the shop. A man passed, 
crying, 'Little lambs, all white and clean, atone penny 
each.' In my eagerness to get one, I lost all self- 
command, and taking a penny from the drawer I made 
the purchase. My keen-eyed, wise mother inquired 
how I came by the money. I evaded the question with 
something like a lie ; in God's sight it was a lie, as I kept 
back the truth. The lamb was placed on the chimney- 
shelf, and much admired. To me it was a source of 
inexpressible anguish. Continually there sounded in my 
ears and heart — Thou slialt not steal: thou shalt not lie. 
Guilt and darkness overcame my mind, and in sore agony 
of sou] , I went to a hayloft — the place is now perfectly in 
my recollection — and there prayed and pleaded, with 
groanings that could not be uttered, for mercy and 
pardon. I entreated mercy for Jesus' sake. With joy 
and transport I left the loft, from a believing a,pplication 

27 



314 GLEANINGS FROM 

of the text — Tliy sins that are many are all forgiven 
thee. I went to my mother, told her what I had done, 
and sought her forgiveness, and burnt the lamb, whilst 
she w^ept over her young penitent." 



When the Princess Anne, daughter of Charles I., lay 
upon her death-bed, and nature was almost spent, she 
was desired by one of her attendants to pray: she said 
she was not able to say her long prayer, meaning the 
Lord's Prayer, but she would say her short one : Lighten 
mine eyes^ Lord^ that I sleep not the sleep of death. 
The little innocent had no sooner pronounced these 
words, than she expired. She was not quite four years 
of age. 

Youth is no obstacle to the favour of God nor to 
devotion to God's service. St. John was the youngest 
of the disciples ; but no one was more favoured than 
he, nor more zealous in attachment to his master. His 
example calls upon those who are entering on their 
career of moral obligation and responsibility, to do that 
which the wise man calls upon them in words to do ; 
namely, to remember their Creator iii the days of their 
youth ; and of this we may be sure, that, if they do so 
remember him, he will not forget them in time of age, 
nor forsake them when they are old and gray-headed. 
If youth present peculiar temptations, to withdraw us 
from the service of God, it endows us also with peculiar 
ability to serve him. The strength of opening manhood 
is never so well employed as in practising subserviency 
to God's revealed will, and in triumphing over its spiritual 
enemies : it receives a grace and beauty from religion, 
and produces an abundant harvest of good works, and 
of glory to God. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 315 

Wisdom divine ! adorable the name ! 
Death and destruction both have heard her fame. 
Who knows her, knows, as did her sons of old, 
How much more valued she than Ophlr's gold. 
The precious onyx and the sapphire are 
With her too mean, too worthless to compare. 
Talk not of corals, pearls, and such like wares, 
Far above rubies is the price she bears. 
Her dower is honour, riches, length of days. 
Her paths are peace, and pleasant all her ways. 



A man who has liberty to draw without limit upon a 
wealthy friend, will not be apprehensive of want, though 
his own resources may be scanty. Le"t us not be fearful. 
Elijah was faint with his journey, and requested that he 
might die ; but angels brought him food from heaven, 
and in the strength of that meal he travelled forty 
days, even to the mount of God. 

The habitual exercise of thankfulness to our heavenly 
Father, for his innumerable blessings, is favourable to 
joyfulness and elasticity of spirit. 



The seasons of Adam Clarke s Life. Written hy him- 
self in a Friend's Album. 
I have enjoyed the spring of life — 
I have endured the toils of its summer — 
I have culled the fruits of its autumn — 
I am now passing through the rigours of its tvinter ,* 
And am neither forsaken of God, 
Nor abandoned by man. 

I see at no great distance the daizn of a neiv day, 
The first of a spring that shall be eternal ! 
It is advancing to meet me ! 



316 GLEANINGS FROM 

I run to embrace it ! 
Welcome ! welcome I eternal spring ! 

Happy are they "who, observing the ways of their 
heavenly Father, diligently watch their own hearts and 
lives, "continue instant in prayer,'' and find in its 
blessed exercises, an ever-flowing spring of life, and 
stren,gth, and consolation. 



On they move, 

Indissolubly firm ; nor obvious hill, 
Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream divides 
Their perfect ranks ; for high above the ground 
Their march was, and the passive air upbore 
Their nimble tread. 

That man will not frequently nor long be wretched, 
whose heart is really in heaven ; who, knowing that he 
has here no abiding mansion, seeks the glory of God, 
without being ambitious of the honour, or even very 
solicitous for the conveniences of the world. He v/ho 
has little can lose little. If we walk as pilgrims we 
shall walk safely. 



There is my house and portion fair ; 
My treasure and my heart are there, 
And my abiding home. 



All the real pleasures and conveniences of life lie in 
a narrow compass; but it is the humour of mankind to 
be always looking forward, and straining after one who 
has orot the start of them in wealth and honour. 

o 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 317 

If every man's internal care 

Were written on his brow, 
How many would our pity share 

Who raise our envy now. 

The hidden sorrow, when revealed, 

Of every troubled breast, 
Would prove that only while concealed 

Their lot appeared the best. 



Live on what thou hast — live, if thou canst, on less : — 
do not borrow either for vanity or pleasure — the vanity 
will end in shame, and the pleasure in regret. 



Art thou willing to be nothing in thy own estimation ; 
yea, less than nothing in the sight of Infinite Perfec- 
tion ? Canst thou renounce thy own fancied righteous- 
ness, as filthy rags ? Dost thou throw thyself, with ab- 
solute entireness, upon the infinite mercies of a crucified 
Saviour ? Canst thou delight in the praise and pros- 
perity of others, even when through their superior lustre 
thou art cast into the shade ? Dost thou feel no envious 
risings when others are made use of in thy presence, and 
thyself studiously overlooked ? Are there no workings 
of mortified pride within, when the conversation of 
others is anxiously listened to, and thine altogether dis- 
regarded ? Is the glory of God the only object of thy 
wishes ; and the good of souls thy only desire ? Art 
thou willing to be esteemed a fool for Christ's sake, and 
to lose the present good- will of thy friends, so that thou 
mayest win Christ, and be found in him ? 



Gracious Father ! break each false repose, 

And unrelenting rule amid thy foes, 

27* 



318 ' GLEANI^^GS FROM 

Till, every low propensity exiled, 

My soul is even as a loeaned child. 

From mean self-love, or gross, or specious, free ; 

And all my treasures, " all my springs in Thee !" 



Although it is always proper to guard against a dis- 
position to take offence, the importance of it in a state 
of bodily suffering is peculiarly obvious ; for when the 
mind is enfeebled by disease, it is not so well able to 
struggle with even assumed grievances. It becomes us, 
therefore, while in health, to accustom ourselves to view 
the actions of others in the most favourable light, and 
to check the disposition to murmur, or be dissatisfied 
with the efforts of our friends to please and comfort us, 
and assuage our sorrows, when we may be laid upon 
the bed of sickness. 



The same benevolence, which, in days of health and 
prosperity, would have exerted itself in going about 
doing good to all within its reach, will, in the time of 
sickness and affliction, be expressed by a constant en- 
deavour to suppress, as much as possible, every word 
or look that may give pain ; by receiving, with thank- 
fulness, every attempt to give ease and comfort, even 
though by being ill-judged or ill-timed, it be in reality 
distressing; and by a thousand little attentions, which 
will make a much deeper impression on a feeling heart 
for being paid at such a time ; and which, at least, 
will serve to show that no sufferings of our own can 
make us indifferent to the happiness of others. 



Where a selfish disposition reigns in the heart, it is 
usual to be insolent, and yet dissatisfied in prosperity, 
and exceedingly depressed in adversity; whereas true 
benevolence enjoys to the utmost every blessing, by 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 319 

imparting it, as far as possible, and furnishes a source 
of pleasure, which pain and sorrow cannot take away. 

There is in every human heart. 
Some not completely barren part, 
Where seeds of love and truth might grow, 
And flowers of generous virtue blow : 
To plant, to watch, to water there, 
This be our duty, this our care. 



Never are we so sensible of our deficiency in relative 
duties, as when they can no longer be discharged, nor 
of the value of a friend till we have lost him. 

A proud man is not easily penetrated with a grate- 
ful sense of kindnesses bestowed upon him; his self- 
complacent manner will often afflict the humble in 
heart. 



Humiliation and self-abasement will be almost iden- 
tified with faith and love to an Almighty Saviour : so 
true is it in the Gospel dispensation, that while we 
seem to sink, we are indeed ascending ; and become poor 
in spirit only, that we may be rich in faith. 



Without a willing mind, what are the most costly 
ofi'erings ? Our hearts may be said to be willing when 
we cheerfully contribute and assist, according to our 
ability, in promoting the cause of God ; but as even 
this willingness is the gift and work of God, we should 
beseech him to increase in us daily a willing mind, to 
abound to every good work. They who are diligent 
and contented in employments considered mean, are as 
much accepted of God as those engaged in more splen- 
did services. 



320 GLEANINGS FROM 

The well-directed efforts of a good man, even in the 
private walks of life, may produce results hardly to be 
calculated. His conduct throughout the successive en- 
gagements of the day, may operate powerfully on the 
different members of his family; and even upon his 
friends, who frequent the house, who make him social 
visits. He may, on these occasions, frequently give 
a suitable direction to conversation — may exchange 
unprofitable, or light converse, for that which will in- 
struct and edify, and raise the conviction, that while 
frivolous and vain subjects leave a painful void, those 
of higher import, refresh and invigorate the mind, and 
increase its zest for spiritual things. 



The motives to an intimate acquaintance with the 
Redeemer are, above all expression, powerful and af- 
fecting. He is the Lord, the Captain of Salvation. 
Yet a short season, and they who are found worthy 
shall be translated into "-.he heavenly kingdom, and led 
to fountains of living waters, where all tears shall be 
wiped from their eyes. 



Could we leave our foolish dreaming 

Of a fancied heaven below, 
And see Jesus' glory beaming. 

How our souls would long to go ! 

When our Redeemer was about to withdraw from this 
world, what was the legacy he bequeathed to his deso- 
late and afflicted followers ? Was it power to exalt 
them above their enemies ? Was it wealth, to supply 
them with worldly gratifications ? Was it even saga- 
city or knowledge, with all their attendant blessings ? 
Peace I leave with you : my peace I give unto you: 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 821 

not as the world givetJi give I unto you. This is the 
secret treasure of the Christian life ; this is the pecu- 
liar blessing of spiritual mindedness. The world is 
full of vehement desires, and eager competitions ; the 
faculties of the mind, driven forward by its passions, 
and purveying to their gratification. In the progress 
of earthly prosperity, we are continually advancing from 
comparative stillness and tranquillity, into a busy and 
tempestuous region. As riches increase, and honours 
multiply, our projects become more extensive, our ene- 
mies more numerous, our contests more severe, our anx- 
ieties ceaseless and consuming. And often in the more 
public and exalted scenes of life, the storm still grows 
louder, even to the day when the hand of death arrests us, 
and we sink and are forgotten. Far different is the path 
of the Christian. Darkened, perhaps, at first, with 
clouds of perplexity and temptation, the pilgrim looks 
round with a trembling anxiety, and treads even the 
way of salvation with some heaviness; but the light 
which shone faintly and fitfully for a time, becomes 
gradually clear and steady. As he ascends towards 
the celestial paradise, leaving behind him the damps 
and darkness, the din and tumult of this lower world, 
his prospect is still growing more extensive and delight- 
ful, the region more tranquil, the atmosphere he breathes 
more setlierial ; 

From pure now purer air 



Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires 
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive 
All sadness. 



The approach to God, and introduction to spiritual 
perceptions, which are effected by prayer, seem, as it 



322 GLEANINGS FROM 

were, the connecting links between earth and heaven ; 
between that state of distance and separation from the 
Creator, to which, as sinners, we must still submit, and 
those blessed privileges which we shall hereafter share 
in the kingdom of our heavenly Father. In the blessed 
exercises of spiritual devotion, the soul is borne away 
for a time from all the perishable objects of sense : 
learning what the voice of man can never teach, feeling 
what the profane or thoughtless never can appreciate. 
The Christian loves to lie low before the footstool of 
his Creator; and from that blessed presence he returns 
with a heart so humble, and yet so refreshed, that, like 
Peter in the mount, he feels *'it was good for him to 
be there." 



Go, when the morning shineth, 

Go, when the noon is bright, 
Go, when the eve declineth, 

Go, in the hush of night ; 
Go, with pure mind and feeling, 

Fling earthly thoughts away, 
And, in thy chamber kneeling. 

Do thou in secret pray. 

Remember all who love thee, 

All who are loved by thee, 
Pray, too, for those who hate thee, 

If any such there be ; 
Then for thyself in meekness, 

A blessing humbly claim, 
And link with each petition, 

The great Redeemer's name. 

Or, if 'tis e'er denied thee 
In solitude to pray. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 323 

Should holy thoughts come o'er thee, 
When friends are round thy way, 

Even then the silent breathing 
Of a spirit raised above, 

Will reach His throne of glory. 
Who is mercy, truth, and love. 

Oh ! not a joy or blessing 

With this can we compare — 
The power that He has given us 

To pour our souls in prayer. 
Whene'er thou pin'st in sadness, 

Before His footstool fall, 
And remember in thy gladness 

His grace who gave thee all. 



And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and 
come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon 
their heads : they shall obtain joy and gladness, and 
sorrow and sighing shall fiee away. Isaiah xxxv. 10. 



I tread the path the patriarchs trod ; 

They walked by faith while here below. 
They marked the way that led to God, 

And after them in faith I go. 

And though it seem a rugged way 
To nature's eye, of verdure bare. 

Yet is it cheered with many a ray 
Of light, and many a prospect fair. 

And in that way so wild, so rude. 
Are pleasures to the world unknown; 

Not in its deepest solitude 
Need any fear to walk alone. 



324 i^LEANINGS FROM 

Oft in tlie solemn gloom of night 
A song celestial meets the ear; 

A sudden glory strikes the sight, 
And God's own shining hosts appear. 

Voices and harpings fill the air, 

Hymning that Lord who once was slain ; 

No earthly minstrelsy is there, 

I hear the notes, and catch the strain. 

Praise him, ye mighty cherubim, 
Ye glowing seraphs, sing his praise ! 

And I will also sing of him. 

To him my humbler tribute raise. 

This, as I travel on, shall be 

The glad employ of heart and tongue ; 
LTntil on high his face I see, 

And join the song by angels sung. 



Look at the humble and suffering Christian, stretched 
upon the bed of sickness, and about to be separated by 
an unexpected and mysterious dispensation from the 
objects of his tenderest affections. Around him are 
assembled those in whose happiness his own was invol- 
ved; whose welfare has been the object of his daily 
prayer and nightly meditation ; whom he hoped to 
have trained up to everlasting glory by his instructions 
and example. He must shortly be taken from them 
m the midst of his years, and leave them exposed to 
sufferings and temptations from which his parental 
watchfulness can no longer protect them. Yet, in all 
his affliction, his faith is still unshaken ; his countenance 
is still animated with a smile of holy confidence ; and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 325 

his heart still glows with gratitude and love to his 

Almighty Benefactor. 

As meadows parch' d, brown groves, and withering 

flowers, 
Imbibe the sparkling dew, and genial showers, 
As chill, dark air inhales the morning beam. 
As thirsty hearts enjoy the gelid stream. 
So to man's grateful soul, from heaven descend, 
The mercies of his Father, Lord, and Friend ! 



A correct knowledge of the sources from whence 
our affections spring, is of great practical value. 

The carnal joys of earthly schemes. 

Which nature loves to rear, 
But mock the eye, like sickly dreams. 

And quickly disappear. 

The bliss I want, is that which springs 

From sense of sin forgiven. 
Which wings its flight from creature things, 

To feast itself in heaven. 



The love of God carries the mind above the little 
vanities of this world. It familiarizes the soul with 
objects so noble, it infuses into it desires so elevated, it 
fills it with pleasures so pure and heavenly, that it is 
impossible to be detained any longer with the poor im- 
portunate cares and wishes that occasion so continual 
a bustle among mankind ; or to regard, without a sort 
of contempt, mingled with compassion, that childish 
eagerness with which wealth and honours, and all the 
gilded baubles of this life, are pursued by so many. 

28 



826 



GLEANINGS FROM 

Eeflected in the lake, I love 

To see the stars of evening glow, 

So tranquil in the heaven above, 
So restless in the wave below. 

Thus, heavenly hope is all serene. 
But earthly hope, how bright soe'er, 

Still flutters o'er this changing scene, 
As false and faithless as 'tis fair. 



A believer's comforts may sometimes be like the 
widow's oil in the cruse, when only a little remained ; 
but never like the water in Hagar's bottle, that was 
quite spent. 



Redeem the time — Catch the favourable gales of 
opportunity : ! catch them while they breathe ; before 
they are irrecoverably lost. Thy minutes are all upon 
the wing, and hastening to be gone. Thou art a bor- 
derer upon eternity. ! learn that heavenly arithme- 
tic of numbering thy days, of applying thy heart untc 
wisdom ! 



Seize mortals, seize the transient hour ; 

Improve each moment as it flies : 
Life's a short summer, man a flower :- — 

He dies — alas ! how soon he dies ! 



Like leaves on trees, the race of man is found. 

Now green in youth, now withering on the ground. 

Another race the following spring supplies. 

They fall successive, and successive rise. 

So generations in their course decay. 

So flourish these, when those are passed away. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 327 

The spider's most attenuated thread, 
Is cord, is cable, to man's tender tie 
On earthly bliss. 



The Death of the Righteous. 
! let me die his death ! all nature cries, 
Then live his life ! — all nature falters there. 



In a good man, an attachment to the law of God, 
and to the rules of duty, is progressive, and with every 
accession of religious experience, becomes more vigor- 
ous and confirmed. The further he advances in his 
Christian course, the more deeply he is convinced that 
his prosperity is inseparably allied to obedience, that 
his spiritual enjoyments rise or fall as he walks more 
or less closely with God. Oh^ that my people had 
hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways ! 
I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my 
hand against their adversaries. He should have fed 
them, also, loith the finest of the wheat : and with 
honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee 
Psalm Ixxxi. 13, 14, 16. 



■In seasons of distress. 



When nature pours her bitters in thy heart. 
When heav'n seems brass, and earth with iron bars 
Doth hold its cheering goodliness from thee ; 
Then with a calm, resigned mind give up. 
Freely surrender all thou callest thine ; 
No longer rest on Jordan's banks, but with 
Stability step in, and learn to know 
That stones there are which for memorials serve ; 
Then bring them up from thence, as proofs where thou 
Hast been, and therewith raise thine Ebenezer. 



328 glea:sIngs from 

Gay attire — T\'hat an abject and mistaken ambition 
is tbis ! How unworthy the dignity of immortal, and 
the wisdom of rational beings ! Let thy endowments 
be of the immortal kind. Study to be all-glorious within. 
Be clothed with humility. Wear the ornament of a 
meek and quiet spirit. To say all in a word ; put on 
the Lord Jesus Christ : let His hlood be sprinkled upon 
thy conscience, and it shall be whiter than the virgin 
snow. Let His righteousness, like a spotless robe, 
adorn thy inner man ; and thou shalt be amiable, even 
in the most distinguishing eye of God. Let His 
blessed Spirit dwell in thy heart ; and under His sanc- 
tifying operations, thou shalt be made a partaker of a 
Divine nature. These are real excellencies ; truly no- 
ble accomplishments these. In this manner be arrayed, 
be beautified ; and thou wilt not find a rival in the 
feathers of a peacock, or the foliation of a tulip. These 
will exalt thee, far above the low pretensions of lace 
and embroidery. These will prepare thee to stand in 
the beatific presence, and to take thy seat among the 
angels of light. 

Vain man ! is grandeur given to gay attire ? 
Then let the butterfly thy pride upbraid : 
To friends, attendants, armies, bought with hire ? 
It is thy weakness that requires their aid : 
To palaces, with gold and gems inlaid ? 
They fear the thief and tremble in the storm : 
To hosts, through carnage, who to conquest wade ! 
Behold the victor vanquished by the worm I 
Behold, what deeds of woe the locust can perform ! 



How beautifully does the prophet describe the fur- 
niture of a renewed and heavenly mind, under the sim- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 329 

ilitude of a rich and complete suit of apparel! I will 
greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall he joyful in 
my God ; for he hath clothed me with the garments of 
salvation, he hath covered me with the rohe of righteous- 
ness, as a bridegroom decJceth himself with ornaments^ 
and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels, ISAiAii 
Ixi. 10. 



Thou that 2LYt vigorous in health and blooming in years, 
improve the precious opportunity. Improve thy golden 
hours to the noblest of all purposes : such as may 
render thee meet for the inheritance of the saints in 
light, and ascertain thy title to a state of immortal 
youth, to a crown of eternal glory. 



Lean not on earth ; 'twill pierce thee to the heart; 

A broken reed at best, but oft a spear ; 

On its sharp point, Peace bleeds, and Hope expires. 



The sorrows entailed upon families by persons dying 
intestate, form a prominent feature in the catalogue of 
human woe. How culpable are they who put off the 
arrangement of their outward affairs, in dependence 
upon an hour they may never have to spare ! 

Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For 
what is your life ? It is even a vapour, that appeareth 
for a little time, and then vanisheth away, James iv. 14. 



Thou think'st it folly to be wise too soon, 
Youth is not rich in time : it may be poor ; 
Part with it, as with money, sparing : pay 
No moment, but in purchase of its worth ; 
And what its worth, ask death-beds; they can tell. 



28 = 



330 GLEANINGS FKOM 

Every individual should bear in mind that he is sent 
into this world to act a part in it. And though one may 
have a more splendid, and another a more obscure part 
assigned him, yet the actor of each is equally, is awfully 
accountable. Though God is not a hard, he is an exact 
master. His service, though not a severe, is a reason- 
able service. He accurately proportions his requisi- 
tions to his gifts. If he does not expect that one talent 
should be as productive as :?ive, yet to even a single 
talent a proportionable responsibility is annexed. 



An experienced Christian can indeed often form a 
tolerably safe opinion of the reality or fictitiousness of 
a pretended change of heart, by conversation. But 
the great decisive evidence, after all, is perseverance 
in a holy life. 



In admiring the beauties of creation, we should con- 
sider to whom we stand indebted for all the entertain- 
ments of sense ; and who it is that thus opens his hand, 
and fills the world with good. Such an habitual dispo- 
sition of mind consecrates every field and wood ; turns 
an ordinary walk into a morning or evening sacrifice ; 
and will improve those transient gleams, which brighten 
up and refresh the soul. 

If God hath made this world so fair. 
Where sin and death abound ; 

How beautiful beyond compare 
Will Paradise be found ! 



While hearts are young, and hopes are high, 
A fairy scene doth life appear ; 

Its sights are beauty to the eye. 
Its sounds are music to the ear : 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 331 

But soon it flies from youth to age, 
And of its charms no more possessed, 

We, like the captives of the cage, 
Would flee away, and be at rest. 

Be watchful of trifles, for they make up the sum of 
numan things, and organize those little springs which 
move the great ones of our existence. 



Dilatory persons are frequently exposed to surprise 
and hurry in everything that belongs to them; the 
time is come, and they are not prepared. 



In the morning think what thou hast to do, and at 
night ask thyself what thou hast done. 



There is an eye that never sleeps 
Beneath the wing of night ; 

There is an ear that never shuts 
When sink the beams of light. 

There is an arm that never tires 
When human strength gives way ; 

There is a love that never fails 
When earthly loves decay. 



Wm. Wilberforce, in his "Practical Christianity,'' 
and in commenting on the resolves and re-resolves of the 
newly-awakened, but unconverted sinner, observes in a 
note : — " If any one would read a description of this 
process, enlivened and enforced by the powers of the 
most exquisite poetry, let him peruse the middle and 
latter part of the fifth book of ' Cowper's Task.' My 
warm attachment to the beautifully natural composi- 



832 GLEANINGS FROM 

tions of this truly Christian poet, may, perhaps, bias 
my judgment ; but the part of the work to which I re- 
fer appears to me scarcely surpassed by anything in 
our language. The honourable epithet of Christian 
may justly be assigned to a poet whose writings, while 
they fascinate the reader by their manifestly coming 
from the heart, breathe throughout the spirit of that 
character of Christianity, with which she was an- 
nounced to the world : Grlory to Crod in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good-will toward men." 



John Newton, on hearing op the Death op his 
SUFFERING Eriend, Cowper : (1st May, 1800). — " He 
went away without a struggle. Oh ! with what sur- 
prise of joy would he find himself immediately before 
the throne, and in the presence of his Lord ! — All his 
sorroivs left helow ; and earth exchanged for heaven!'' 



ShewelVs Tribute to the Memory of Cowper. 

>K * * * * 

Thy life's a wholesome lesson good for all 

Who woo instruction in the walks of time, 

To ponder well; and happ'ly thus extract 

A balsam from thy tears ; though nature shrink, 

Keluctant to receive th' unwelcome cup. 

That mars her joy, to med'cine her disease. 

Afflictions are the ministers of love, 

By heav'n appointed : — happy, if they serve 

To bring us nearer home ! — to wean our hearts 

From toys and trifles ; and to fix them there, 

Where only lasting happiness is found ! 

To Him, who made thee all thou wert, we trust 

In full assurance of its blest reward, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 66 

Thy loosened spirit, its redemption wrought, 

By long probation : confident in hope 

Attained its heavenly mansion ; well prepared, 

As gold by long refinement, to receive 

That full fruition of immortal bliss 

It here so fondly, so devoutly sought. 

There, in Jehovah's presence, wip'd away 

All sorrow from thine eyes; and having kept 

His righteous law ; thy peace for ever flows 

Like Jordan's stream, and as the countless waves 

Of yon extended sea, thy righteousness. 

Mortality's frail garments cast aside ; 

Corruptible put off or incorrupt ; 

And with the Lamb's unspotted robes array'd. 

Made meet to mingle with th' angelic train 

Of that celestial city ; all whose walls 

Are sure salvation, and whose gates are praise; 

Thou'rt safely landed on th' immortal coast, 

Where in full triumph the Messiah reigns. 

^ >K >}s ^ ^; H^ 



Solomon, a most penetrating judge of human nature, 
knowing how highly mankind is charmed with the fine 
qualities of flowers, has figured out the blessed Jesus, 
that fairest among ten tJiousand, by these lovely repre- 
sentatives. He styles him The Rose of Sharon^ and 
The Lily of theVallies ; like the first, full of delights 
and communicable graces ; like the last exalted in 
majesty, and complete in beauty. In that sacred pas- 
toral, he ranges the creation, borrows its most finished 
forms, and dips his pencil in its choicest dyes, to present 
us with a sketch of the amiableness of his person. 
His amiableness who is the light of the world, the 
glory of his church, the only hope, the sovereign con- 



334 GLEANINGS FROM 

solation of sinners; and exalted, infinitely exalted, not 
only above the noblest comparison, but even ahove all 
blessing and praise. 

Thou sitt'st above all heavens, 

To us invisible or dimly seen, 

In these thy lowest works ; yet these declare 

Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine. 

Should it be asked, "Where, and what are the mate- 
rials that beautify the blooming world? what rich tints, 
what splendid dyes, what stores of shining crayons, 
stand by the heavenly limner, when he paints the robe 
of nature ?" it is answered, " His powerful pencil needs 
no such costly apparatus. A single principle, under 
his conducting hand, branches out into an immensity 
of the most varied and finished forms." 



Yes, all are under one ! One Spirit, His 

Who wore the platted thorns with bleeding brow, 

Rules universal nature. Not a flower 

But shows some touch, its freckle, streak or stain 

Of his unrivalled pencil. He inspires 

Their balmy odours, and imparts their hues. 

And bathes their eyes with nectar, and includes, 

In grains as countless as the sea-side sands. 

The forms with which he sprinkles all the earth. 



These are thy glorious works. Parent of good, 

Almighty ! Thine this universal frame, 

Thus wond'rous fair ! Thyself how wond'rous then ! 

A strict adherence to truth is not only an essential 
duty in a religious point of view, but it is indispensa- 
bly necessary to preserve the morals of any community. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 335 

If we allow ourselves little deviations, and consider 
them as trifling, our minds will, by degrees, grow cal- 
lous to things of more importance ; and we shall be in 
danger of finding some valve for the grossest violations 
of that principle of truth, which ought ever to be held 
sacred. 



If we consult our own feelings, we shall be convinced 
that a candid, open character always meets our appro- 
bation ; that the man of uprightness and integrity, on 
whose word we may rely, and who we are confident 
will not deceive us, has always a large share of our 
respect and esteem ; and that so far as any one recedes 
from this character, in such degree our respect and 
esteem will lessen, though there may still be other traits 
which endear the person to us, and make us wish to 
find excuses for that which our judgment must condemn 
as wrong. 



Justice requires of every man that he should keep 
his expenses within the limits of his income. Prudence 
requires something more ; that he should, if possible, 
make some little savings, to provide for sickness or 
other contingencies. Those who form their establish- 
ment to the extent of their income (let their situation or 
class in life be what it may,) and mean to be just, sub- 
ject themselves to a state of frequent irritation. Lit- 
tle disappointments sometimes occur, or expenses that 
they had not calculated upon ; and their minds are in 
a state of perturbation how to keep up their accustomed 
mode of life, and yet provide for contingencies. To 
retrench is often so difficult, that it seems much wiser to 
arrange one's plans upon too small a scale, than upon 



336 GLEANINGS FROM 

« 

one too large. Though economy is always proper, a 
rigid attention to it in trifling particulars is frequently 
irksome and harassing to the spirits. Notwithstanding 
all human prudence and foresight, there are many 
vicissitudes in life which cannot be guarded against. 
The rich become poor, and the poor become rich, with- 
out any merit or demerit of their own. In the former 
case an entire change of plan becomes necessary, and 
we need not be ashamed of it when it does not arise 
from our own fault. In such a case we must model 
our plan according to existing circumstances ; and per- 
haps shall feel less on the whole than while we are 
struggling with endeavours to keep up appearances, 
and studying where we can save. Where we cannot 
save we easily settle, but where we can save is often 
difficult to find out. 



When winds the mountain oak assail, 
And lay its glories waste, 

Content may slumber in the vale, 
Unconscious of the blast. 



Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though 
thou set thy nest among the stars, thence ivill I bring 
thee down, saith the Lord. — Obadiah, 4. 



Who art thou, that soaring high, 
Pride of heart thy bosom swelling, 

Look'st around with haughty eye, 
Trusting in thy lofty dwelling ! 

Stoop thy wing or thou'rt undone : 
Let not pride of heart deceive thee, 

He, the High and Holy One, 

Of thy dwelling shall bereave thee. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 337 

Laura — — being ill at Clifton, in the year 1817, 
an amputation of her leg was considered needful to 
preserve life, and two additional surgeons were sent 
for from London, to assist in the painful operation. 

Lady (Laura's mother) undertook the disclosure 

to the poor sufferer ; and in the course of conversation 
introduced the question, if she would rather die, or 
have her limb cut off? She replied, " I would rather 
die, because I think I should be happy;" but pausing, 
added, '^ that would be taking my fate into my own 
hands, and how could I expect God would support me 
in dying. It seems God does not require my life, but 
my limb ; so it is not left me to choose." " Then, my 

dear," said Lady , " you would not think it very 

cruel in me to consent to the operation." "Dear 
Mamma, you could not do otherwise ; for, if you were 
to let me choose, and I were to persevere in saying 
I would rather die, how could I look up to God on 
my death-bed ? I should have taken myself out 
of his hands." This composure was not transitory ; 
it lasted that day and night. She said, "Mamma, 
do you remember the day you stayed at home 
from church, and talked to me about God ? Since 
that I have thought about Him more and more, and it 
is He who now supports me, and will support me 
during the operation. Pray for me. I will not ask 
you to stay in the room : it would not be good for you; 
but perhaps Nelson (the housekeeper) will be so good." 

I The next day the four surgeons arrived, and Lady 

went into Laura's room, to acquaint her. The 

dear child shed several tears, on hearing her trial was 
so near ; but soon recovering herself, she resumed her 

1 usual composure, and said, " Pray for me. Mamma., 
29 



8o8 GLEANINGS FROM 

that I may glorify God by patience, and that it may 

do good to Mr. to see what God can do." The 

prevailing wish on her mind was, that God would so 
support her as to make her feel certain that she was 
His child ; and enable her to glorify him so as to be 
useful to all around her. On this subject she said, with 
great animation, " Oh ! if in consequence of my be- 
haviour, they should be led to value religion more, how 
well worth parting with a limb ! She showed no self- 
dependence, but always said, "" I hope God will enable 
me." She was taken out of bed, and placed on a 
table. When they were about to cover her eyes with a 
handkerchief, she said, "You need not do that; but 
do as you like." She submitted to the operation 
without uttering a word, but once cried, " Oh !" She 
said, that God supported her, and that these texts com- 
forted her : — We must through much tribulation enter 
into the kingdom of God; and If ye suffer with Him, 
ye shall aho reign with JSim ; adding, "How much 
better to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than 
having two feet to enter into hell." As a proof how 
greatly she was supported, she kept some flowers in her 
hand through the operation. The true Christian has no- 
thing to fear ; for " as his day is, so shall his strength be." 



(Chaeles Simeon.) — " I have been in the company 
of religious professors, and have heard many words 
about religion ; but give me to be with a broken-hearted 
Christian, and I prefer his society to that of all the 
rest. In these days there is too much of talking about re- 
ligion, and too little of religion itself." 

Religion does not censure or exclude, 
Unnumbered pleasures, harmlessly pursued. j 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 339 

While all the happy man possessed before, 
The gift of nature, or the classic store. 
Is made subservient to the grand design, 
For which Heaven formed the faculty divine. 

A religious education is the richest gift a parent can 
bestow upon a child ; the want of it can never be made 
up by any wealth it may be in his power to leave him. 

The pleasures of sense weary ; it is religion alone 
that preserves an unfading freshness, an undying charm, 
an inexhaustible power to please ; it is this alone which 
never clogs, never surfeits, but increases the appetite 
the more it gratifies it, and leaves it, after the richest 
feast, prepared and hungry for a still more splendid 
banquet. 



X^ie gii^iibbci-lj. 



If an earthly prince quit his palace to visit the 
cottage of a poor peasant, it is thought great condes- 
cension — what then shall we think of the King of 
kings, who deigns to fix his abode in the contrite and 
humble soul ? 



As we cannot truly call Jesus our Master without 
the spirit of Christy (RoM. viii. 9,) so neither can we 
call God our Father without the spirit of adoption. 



The first acts of sin may disturb, but long habits of 
wickedness sear the conscience. Beware of what are 
called little sins. 



Liberty of conscience is sometimes made a shelter 
for men of no conscience. 



He who gives the workers of iniquity a favouring 
smile, or an encouraging word, will not need much 
entreaty to lend them a helping hand, especially if he 
has any hope of sharing the spoil. 

The Emperor Vespasian, when a person spoke ill of 
him, said, "While I do nothing that merits reproach, 
these lies give me no uneasiness." 

(340) 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 341 

All the world's honey will not serve to allay the 
envenomed stingings of a guilty conscience. 

He who clips away a little truth, and puts in a patch 
of falsehood to make measure, is likely to become a 
skilful manufacturer of lies. 



Thousands of volumes which bear good titles are full 
of deadly errors, dangerous allurements to folly, and 
finespun apologies for vice. 



Novels, plays, and romances, are generally so writ- 
ten, as to captivate the imagination and corrupt the 
heart, and should therefore be avoided. 



Be not desirous of having it to say that thou hast 
perused a vast number of volumes. One good book 
read with laborious attention will tend more to enrich 
thy understanding than skimming over the surface of 
twenty authors. 

Righteousness exalteth a nation. It makes the 
laborious cheerful, the studious useful, the poor rich in 
faith, and the rich poor in spirit. 

To engage with a large acquaintance is opening our 
gates to invaders of our time. 

Thou mayest gain a lease of an estate, but the Lord 
of time issues no grant for any certain term of future 
years. Thou hast a charge to occupy till he come, but 
thou must remain tenant at will. 



Vain amusements which many call pass-iimQ^ is 
rather a contrivance to waste time. 



29 



342 GLEANINGS FROM 

Be more careful of thy time than the miser is of his 
gold. 

With willing heart and active hands, 
Lord, I would practise thy commands ; 
Improve the moments as they fly, 
And live as I would wish to die. 



No time is thine but the present. The time gone 
comes no more ; the time to come may find thee gone 
when it comes. 



It is to be lamented that a great number of upright 
and amiable persons in public and private life observe 
no methodical regulations in their business and fam- 
ilies, and this is perhaps one reason why they are not 
prosperous in their temporal affairs. 



If every hour knows its proper employment, no time 
will be lost. Idleness will be shut out at every avenue, 
and with her that numerous body of vices that make up 
her train. 



"VVe ought to keep such company as will never make 
us blush. 



Ill habits gather by unseen degrees. 
As brooks run rivers, rivers run to seas. 



Let neither the tears of natural tenderness, nor the 
sudden terrors of conscious guilt, be mistaken for gen- 
uine repentance. 



Godly sorrow is a stream flowing from the fountain 
opened in a regenerate heart. j 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 343 

True repentance consists in a heart being broken 
for sin and broken /rom sin. 



He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso 
confesseth andforsaketh them shall have mercy, (Prov. 
xxviii. 13.) One covers his sins with the ^^-/ea/ apron 
of vain excuses, another with the filthy rags of self- 
righteousness, and a third with the flimsy arguments 
and wretched quibbles of infidelity. 



Sin in its ordinary progress first deceives, next hard- 
ens, and then destroys. 



As impenitence shuts Christ out of the soul, so 
Christ will shut the impenitent out of Heaven. Except 
ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 



What better can we do, than prostrate fall 
Before him reverent ; and there confess 
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg with tears. 



There is a certain simplicity and savour in the con- 
versation of truly pious persons, which will ever distin- 
guish them. 

Affability is an excellent qualification in conversa- 
tion ; for as knowledge teaches us what to say, and 
prudence when to say it, so affability teaches how to 
speak in an agreeable manner. 



Prolixity in writing or in conversation tends not only 
to tire and disgust the readers or the company, but so 
to confuse the mind as to make it incapable of under- 
standing what has been said ; whereas brevity pleases 
as well as profits, and tends very much to improve 
time. 



-344 GLEANINGS FROM 

A man may learn so much of his Bible as to become 
a sort of living concordance, and yet have little know- 
ledge of Divine things. 



True piety is light in the understanding, peace in the 
conscience, purity in the affections, and consistency in 
the life. ^ ^ 



Eeligion would have no enemies if it was not an 
enemy to vice. 



Some receive the form of godliness to take away 
their reproach, but not the foiver of it to take away 
their sins. 



It will avail thee nothing to change thy religion, if 
thy religion does not change thee. 

As enmity to God and his law marks the carnal mind, 
so love to God and delight in his law, are the distin- 
guishing traits of the spiritual or renewed mind. 



" From thee, great God, we spring, to thee we tend, 
Path, motive, guide, original, and end.'^ 



Thou hast better throw the best earthly things over- 
hoard, than make sMpivrech of faith and of a good con- 
science. 



Bishop Hall says : " After the commission of crimes, 
thou mayest fly from thy fellow men, yea, thy soul may 
fly from thy body, but thy conscience will not fly from 
thy soul, nor thy sin from thy conscience." 

Good men have ever valued the Scriptures. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 345 

Prayer must be sincere to be effectual. If thou 
regard iniquity in thy heart, the Lord will not hear 
thee. Let there be no reserve (says Gurnall), no false 
box in the cabinet of the soul to lock up a darling sin. 



He who neglects seeking God to-day, may not have 
an opportunity of finding him to-morrow. 

When the Duke of Venice showed Charles V. his 
princely palace and fine gardens, the Emperor said, 
" These are the things which make a man unwilling 
to die." 



He who was never wise enough to find out any mis- 
takes or faults in himself, will not be charitable enough 
to excuse what he reckons the faults or mistakes of 
others. 



Men who usurp the form of Christianity without its 
spirit, give to Christ the vapour of the lips, and to 
mammon the solid homage of the heart. They are a 
perpetual mildew on the blossoms, a death-frost round 

the roots of social piety. 

• 

It is wisdom to leave worldly things before they 
leave us. 



The fairer and higher thy character, the greater 
need thou hast of caution. A white garment is soon 
stained. 



True modesty is ashamed of everything criminal. 
False modesty only of those things that are unfashion- 
able. 



346 GLEANINGS FROM 

Take not as thy companions either those who are too 
giddy to think, or too selfish to feel ; those who are too 
reserved to speak, or too open to keep a secret. 



Expect not conitancy from him who is a feather 
driven by the winds of fashion ; or that he can be thy 
friend whose ways prove him to be the enemy of Crod. 



Link not thyself with those who venture on the 
smooth stream of sensual pleasure, lest thou be gradu- 
ally drawn into the whirlpool of excess, '' where gay 
delusion darkens to despair." 



Friendship has been called the sweetener of life. It 
is a compound made up of truth and kindness, prudence 
and piety. 

Let us be very cautious with respect to those who 
are very eager to contract a friendship, and very warm 
at a short acquaintance; for we should always remem- 
ber that the most firm and durable friendship is that which 
grows up but slowly, as the most long-lived plants are 
those which grow the slowest. 



Proud persons seldom meet vf'ith friends, because iil 
prosperity they know nobody, and in adversity few know 
them. 



He who confounds with noise, instead of convincing 
with reason, who makes the modest blush and the meek 
tremble, causes pain when he comes, and pleasure when 
he departs. 

Modesty is generally the companion of virtue, inno- 
cence, and real abilities. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 347 

As wholesome food and constant exercise are con- 
ducive to the health and strength of the body, so use- 
ful knowledge and frequent meditation promote the 
vigor and happiness of the mind. 



Linger not in dilatory preparation till the door of 
opportunity be shut. 



The diligent farmer seldom complains that he has 
nothing to do. He is still engaged mending his fences 
or tending his flocks, sowing his seed or reaping his 
harvest. 



To keep thy garden clear of weeds, pluck up some 
every day. 

"Beauty, as the flowery blossom, soon fades; but the 
excellencies of the mind, like the medicinal virtues of 
the plant, remain in it when all those charms are 
withered. 



The reign of beauty, like a blooming flower, 
Is but the pride and pageant of an hour. 
To beauty and to youth in vain you trust, 
For youth and beauty must be laid in dust. 
Survey the fairest form, we still shall find, 
Beauty's an emanation of the mind. 



What is the blooming tincture of the skin 
To peace of mind and harmony within ? 
"What the bright sparkling of the finest eye 
To the soft soothing of a calm reply ? 
Can comeliness of form, or shape, or air, 
With comelin£SS of words or deeds compare? 



S48 GLEANINGS FROM 

No, those at first th' unwary heart may gain, 
But these, these only, can the heart retain. 



A man who worked in Rowland Hill's garden at 
Wotton, and was supposed to have forsaken a life of 
sin under the influence of religion, was at length dis- 
covered to have been the perpetrator of several bur- 
glaries, and other daring robberies in the neighbour- 
hood, though he Bad not, till caught in the fact, been 
even suspected. He was tried at Gloucester, con- 
demned and executed. It need scarcely be said that 
his employer visited him in gaol. During his inter- 
views with him there, he confessed the many crimes 
of which he had been guilty. ^'How was it, William," 
he inquired, "that you never robbed me, when you 
had such abundant opportunity ?" " Sir," replied he, 
" do you recollect the juniper on the border against 
the dining-room ? I have many times hid under it at 
night, intending, which I could easily have done, to 
get into the house and plunder it — but, Sir, I was 
afraid; something said to me, he is a man of God, it is 
a house of prayer ; if I break in there, I shall surely 
be found out — so I never could pluck up courage to 
attempt it." In another conversation he told him, 
" Sir, I well knew that old Mr. Rugg was in the habit 
of carrying a deal of money in his pocket ; times and 
times have I hid behind the hedge of the lane leading 
to his house — he has passed within a yard of me, when 
going home from the prayer meeting, again and again 
— I could not stir — I durst not touch such a holy man. 
I was afraid. I always began trembling as soon as he 
came near me, and gave up the thought altogether, for 
I knew he was a holy man." This is a fact which well 
assures us that God our sini is a shield too. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 349 

It IS a common saying that ''cleanliness is next to 
godliness;" and whatever exceptions there may be to 
a general rule, it is observable that filthiness of exter- 
nal habits, and extreme pollution of mind, are frequently 
yoke-fellows. 

One who was very neat in his dress observed, that 
*' cleanliness of the body and the clothes ought to put us 
in mind of keeping all clean within." The well-known 
Rowland Hill, in urging upon the poor the necessity 
of every possible adornment of the Christian char- 
acter, would particularize cleanliness ; and consider 
a slovenly person, or a dirty house, an evidence 
that religion had effected no salutary change in the 
character. 



Rowland Hill. — " A gentleman of his acquaintance 
once met him at Brighton, where he heard him preach 
a sermon, in which there was such a mixture of the 
humorous, that the congregation were excited by it to 
a considerable degree of laughter. This was followed 
by such an awful address to their consciences, and a 
pathos so deep and melting, that there was scarcely an 
individual present who did not weep. In the evening, 
the conversation at the house in which he was visiting 
was of a very lively nature. After Mr. Hill retired, the 
gentleman before alluded to, thought he heard some one 
in the passage, and on going out, found him at the 
bottom of the stairs. He feared he was unwell ; but 
on inquiring the reason of his remaining there, dis- 
covered him to be in deep agony of mind, to which he 
gave vent in confessions of sorrow at having been such 
a trifler, and mourned over his unreasonable drollery 
with the simplicity of a child. Before he went to his 

30 



350 GLEAXIXGS FROM 

room, he said — 'I never wish to say a single word to 

excite a smile, which would prevent an immediate 

approach to God, in all the solemnity of spiritual 

prayer.' The scene was most affecting, and was a 

; striking proof of his contrition when he reflected that 

i by giving way to the natural sprightliness of his disposi- 

i tion, he might have prevented his real usefulness, or have 

; forgotten, for an instant, the character of a messenger 

! of the gospel." 

Blessed is he that considereth the foor ; the Lord 
will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord luill 
preserve hhn and 'kee'p him alive : and he shall he 
blessed upon the earth ; and thou wilt not deliver him 
unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will streng- 
then him upon the bed of languishing : thou u)ilt make 
all his bed in his sickness. Psalm xli. 1, 2, 3. 



It has been found by persons disposed to distribute 
of their substance, that they have supposed themselves 
more liberal than has really been the case. They 
have seemed to give frequently, and perhaps have done 
so ; and have at times feared that they were exceeding 
proper bounds, when at last resolving to set apart a 
certain portion of their income for the specific object, 
they have been surprised at the end of the year to 
find their funds not exhausted., even though their ap- 
plications seemed as numerous, as urgent, and as lib- 
erally attended to as before. 



Let it be remembered that the sums which some give, 
however large, may be given without the self-privation 
of a single worldly comfort, or even of the luxurious 
enjoyment of the good things of this life, and thence 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 351 

be as sacrifice that cost nothing. The Christian had 
need to inquire in his closet concerning the faithful 
discharge of his stewardship. 

Wealth may seek us, but wisdom must be sought : 
Sought before all ; but (how unlike all else 
We seek on earth !) 'tis never sought in vain. 

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand 
"know what thy right hand doeth. That thine alms 
may he in secret ; and thy father which seeth in secret 
himself shall reward thee openly. — Matt. vi. 3, 4. 



In thy works of charity guard against ostentatious 
parade (the fruit of pride and vain glory) and an over- 
scrupulous regard to secresy, the natural offspring of 
misconception. If with King David thou canst say, 
" Of thine own have I given thee," the simple per- 
formance of thy duty will not lift thee up, but thy 
" light" may shine hefore men, and they seeing thy 
good works may glorify thy Father which is in 
Heaven. — Matt. v. 16. 



Virtue the tribute scorns of vulgar eyes 
And in herself her richest portion lies ; 
With solid beams and native glory bright, 
She neither darkness dreads, nor covets light. 



The very essence of charity is disinterested good- 
doing ; and although we may like it the better for its 
returns of benefit, we must obey its impulses from de- 
light itself. Where we fail in this, our charity fails, al- 
though our deeds of beneficence may still be abounding. 

"Wherever the affections are set on earthly treasure, 



352 GLEANINGS FROM 

or the energies of the mind are set on carnal indulgence, 

the judgments of God are sooner or later made mani- 
fest. 



A hatred of sin, and an ardent desire after holiness, 
must ever mark the disposition and conduct of the 
Lord's children. If David could say — Oh, how Hove 
thy law ! it is my meditation all the day ; thy testimonies 
have I taJcen as an heritage for ever ; for they are the 
rejoicing of my heart — the follower of Jesus, in every 
age, ought surely to breathe in the same spirit, and to 
burn with the same ardour. If the ancient Israelites 
were commanded to talk of the Lord's precepts when 
they set in their houses, or walked by the way, and 
when they lay down, and when they rose up ; to teach 
them diligently to their children ; to bind them for a 
sign upon their hand, and for frontlets between their 
eyes ; to write them on their door-posts and on their 
gates — much more is the Christian bound by every tie 
of gratitude, to love and obey them — to guard and 
cherish them as his dearest treasure. 

The soldiers of Christ too often contend about the 
weapons of their warfare, instead of using them in the 
common cause of the Captain of their salvation. 



Poverty of spirit, vath her virtuous attendants, humi- 
lity and meekness, is, under Divine influence, the 
groundwork of Christian experience, a safeguard 
through the steps of time, and a token of blissful im- 
mortality. 



What can be more feeble than the ivy, the jessamine, 
or the vine ? yet these, by the assistance of their ten- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 353 

drils or claspers, rise and are supported till they some- 
times mount as high as the trees or the wall that sus- 
tains them ; scf the weak believer laying hold on Christ, 
by faith, not only can grow, but may become as a fruit- 
ful vine upon the wall of a house. 



Ah ! why by passing clouds oppress'd. 
Should vexing thoughts distract thy breast? 
Turn, turn to Him, in every pain, 
AYhom never suppliant sought in vain ; 
Thy strength in joy's ecstatic day, 
Thy hope when joy has pass'd away. 



Bishop Hall. — "I have learnt more of God and 
myself in one week's affliction, than all my whole life's 
prosperity had taught me before." 



The mind grows firm by weathering the tempest, 
But in success, dissolving sinks to ease, 
And loses all her firmness. 



All those who hope hereafter heaven to share, 

Troubles and sorrows here should calmly bear, 

A^nd with collected spirits undergo 

The sad variety of human woe. 

While the bright prospects of approaching joy 

Creates a bliss no troubles can destroy. 



That faith is called precious which receives the rich 
provisions of the Gospel. We think the man sick who 
has lost his appetite, and so it is with our souls ; they 
languish, and are in an evil state as long as they are 
without spiritual hunger for that food which cometh 

30* 



354 GLEANINGS PROM 

from God. The worst want is to be without a sense 
of our wants. 



A Christian that lives amongst his enemies should 
never stir out without his armour. 



John Newton. — " If I am lawfully called into the 
company of the profligate, I am too much shocked to 
be in great danger of being hurt by them. I feel 
myself in the situation of the traveller, when assaulter 
by the north wind. The vehemence of the wind makes 
me wrap my cloak the faster about me. But when I 
am with good sort of people, I am like the same trav- 
eller when under the powerful beams of the sun ; the 
insinuating warmth puts me insensibly off my guard, 
and I am in danger of voluntarily dropping the cloak, 
which could not be forced from me by downright vio- 
lence. The circle of politeness, elegance, and taste, 
unless a higher spirit and principle predominate, is to 
me an enchanted spot, which I seldom enter without 
fear, and seldom retire from without loss." 



The goodness of an ever-present ever-ruling God, is 
joyfully traced by the heliever in little circumstances, 
as well as in great events. How often, during the 
course of our pilgrimage, have we reason to bless Him 
for that special providence,. by which our sufferings are 
alleviated, and our wants supplied ! How many are 
the minute turning points in our lives — the mere acci- 
dents, as some persons would call them — which are 
afterwards found to have been fraught with important 
consequences, both for our temporal and spiritua 
welfare ! 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 355 

" Oh ! who shall say how great the plan 
Which this day's incident began ? 
Too small, perhaps, the slight occasion, 
For our dim-sighted observation ; 
It passed unnoticed, as the bird 
That cleaves the liquid air unheard, 
And yet may prove, when understood, 
The harbinger of endless good." 



Many are busy about shaking the tree of know- 
ledge and scrambling for the fruit, but neglect the tree 
of life. 



,, Cleanse your hands, ye dinners ; and 'purify your 
hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, 
and weep : let your laughter he turned to mourning, 
and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the 
sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James iv. 
9,10. 



'> ^i 



It is related of the eminent and virtuous Sir Matthew 
Hale, that in early life he was fond of company, and 
fell into many levities and extravagancies. But this 
propensity and conduct were corrected by a circum- 
stance, that made a considerable impression on his mind 
during the rest of his life. Being one day in company 
with other young men, one of the party, through ex- 
cess of wine, fell down, apparently dead at their feet. 
Young Hale was so aifected on this occasion, that he 
immediately retired to another room ; and shutting the 
door, fell on his knees, and prayed earnestly to God, 
that his friend might be restored to life, and that he 
himself might be pardoned for having given counte- 
nance to so much excess. At the same time he made 



356 GLEANINGS IROM 

a solemn vow, that he would never again keep com- 
pany in that manner, nor " drink a health" while he 
lived. His friend recovered, and Hale religiously ob- 
served his vow. After this event, there was an entire 
change in his disposition ; he forsook all dissipated 
company, and was careful to divide his time between 
the duties of religion, and the studies of his profession. 
He became remarkable for a grave and exemplary 
deportment, great moderation of temper, and a reli- 
gious tenderness of spirit; and these virtues appear 
to have accompanied him through the whole of his life. 
He continued to enjoy the free use of his reason and 
senses to the latest moment, a favour he had often 
earnestly prayed for, and when, as he drev/ near tt^ 
end, his voice was so sunk that he could not be heard, 
his friends perceived, by the almost constant lifting up 
of his eyes and hands, that he was still aspiring after 
that blessed state of which he was now to be speedily 
possessed. He had no struggles, nor seemed to be in 
any pangs, breathing out his righteous and pious soul 
in peace. 



The death-bed of the just is yet undrawn 
By mortal hand ; it merits a divine ; 
Angels should paint it, angels ever there : 
There on a post of honour, and of joy. 



Let not trifles interrupt thy happiness. Cotton Ma- 
ther advised with his son on this subject, he told him it 
.'would not be amiss to have two heaps; a heap of un- 
intelUgibles, and a heap of incurables. " Every now 
and then," said he, "you will meet ^ith something or 
other that you cannot well understand, and will there- 
fore distress your thoughts ; you will also meet with 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 357 

some unaccountable things in the conduct of some peo- 
ple that you are related to or acquainted with ; throw them 
into your heap of unintelligihles, leave them there, 
trouble your mind no farther, hope the best, but think 
no more about them. You will meet with some un- 
persuadable persons, perhaps no reason, no advice, 
will do anything with them, especially as to being rec- 
onciled to some that they are at variance with ; throw 
them into the heap of incurables^ leave them there, 
and let not such crooked things as cannot be made 
straight, disturb your happiness." 



If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from 
doing thy pleasure on my holy day : and call the sab- 
bath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable ; and 
shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor find- 
ing thine own ^pleasure, nor speaking thine own words : 
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will 
cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, 
and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father ; 
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 
Iviii. 13, 14. 

Sir Matthew Hale. — '' I have by long and sound 
experience found that the due observance of the Chris- 
tian sabbath-day, and of the duties of it, have been of 
singular comfort and advantage to me. The observ- 
ance of this day has ever had joined to it a blessing 
upon the rest of my time, and the week that hath been 
so begun, hath been prosperous and blessed to me ; 
and, on the other side, when I have been negligent of 
the duties of the day, the rest of the week hath been 
unsuccessful and unhappy to my secular employments, 
so that I could easily make an estimate of my successes 
the week following by the manner of my passing this 



858 GLEANINGS FROM 

day ; and this I do not write Hglitly or inconsiderately, 
but upon a long and sound observation and experience. 

We spend much time in learning useless things, but 
not enough in opening the folds and doubles of the 
heart. 



Nor let soft slumber close your eyes, 
Before you've recollected thrice 
The train of actions through the day : 
Where have my feet chose out the way ? 
What have I learnt where'er I've been ? 
From all I've heard, from all I've seen. 
What know I more that's worth the knowing? 
What have I done that's worth the doing ? 
What have I sought that I should shun ? 
What duty have I left undone ? 
Or into what new follies run ? 
These self-inquiries are the road. 
That lead to virtue and to God. 



How soft and sweet are those silken cords which the 
dear Redeemer twines and ties about the hearts of his 
children ! 



GuRNEY. — Christianity is distinguished by nothing 
more strikingly than by the force and tenderness of 
its sympathies; and those who are united to the same 
holy Head, ought surely to be ever ready, both to 
weep and rejoice in unison. If forbearance, gentle- 
ness, and courtesy, are due to all men, how plainly 
ought they to mark our conduct towards those who are 
of the household of faith ! If that charity, which shuns 
all rashness and unseemliness, and is ever ready tc 
look upon others with a favourable eye, must be exer- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 359 

cised towards our neighbours generally^ how ought it 
to live and abound towards the Lord's flock and family ! 
If the tongue of detraction is unlawful, even when 
aimed against his enemies, how shameful does it become 
when it inflicts an injury on a Christian brother or 
sister ! 



And why hehcldest thou the mote that is in thy 
brother s eye; hut considerest not the beam that is in 
thine own eye f Matt. vii. 3. 



The Heathens would observe on this common failing 
of nature by the following imagery. "Every man 
(say they) carries a wallet, or two satchels or bags with 
him; the one hanging before him, and the other behind 
him ; into that before, he puts the faults of others ; 
into that behind, his own ; by which means he never 
sees his own failings, whilst he has those of others 
always before his eyes." Now a proper knowledge of 
ourselves will teach us to turn this wallet ; and place 
that part which contains our own faults, before our 
eyes, and that which contains those of others, behind 
our back. A very necessary regulation this, if we 
would behold our own faults in the same light in 
which they do. For we must not expect that others 
will be as blind to our foibles as we ourselves are. 
They will carry them before their eyes, whether we do 
or no. And to imagine the world takes no notice of 
them, because we do not, is just as wise as to fancy 
others do not see us because we shut our eyes. 



Two Italian Proverbs. — '^ A civil answer to a rude 
speech costs not much, and is worth a great deal." — 



360 GLEANINGS PROM 

" One mild word quenches more heat than a whole 
bucket of water." 



BeJioId, how good and liow pleasant it is for hretJiren 
to dtvell together in unity! Psalm cxxxiii. 1. 

"The kindred links of life are bright, 

Yet not so bright as those 
In which Christ's favoured friends unite, 

And each on each repose. 
Where all the hearts in union cling, 
With him the centre and the spring." 



Cecil. — If a man will look at most of his prejudices, 
he will find that they arise from his field of view being 
necessarily narrow, like the eye of the fly. He can 
have but little better notions of the whole scheme of 
things, as has been well said, than a fly on the pave- 
ment of St. Paul's Cathedral can have of the whole 
structure. He is off"ended, therefore, by inequalities, 
which are lost in the great design. This persuasion 
will fortify him against many injurious and trouble- 
some prejudices. 

The Christian member of a Christian household has 
this heavenly and solacing influence, " that so strong, 
so unearthly become the bonds which unite those who 
have long lived together in the unity of the spirit, no 
less than community of blood, that they undoubtedly 
enjoy, even in absence, a certain, though undefinable 
fruition of each other's presence, they hear each other's 
voices speaking in the depth of their bosoms, dissuading, 
approving, comforting, rejoicing, and thus realize to 
its fullest extent, that blessed privilege, alas ! how sel- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 361 

dom enjoyed, or even understood, of the communion 
of saints." 



It is cause enough for humility to know that we are 
not humble. 



Every step we take in the kingdom of grace, we ne- 
cessarily sink so much lower in our own esteem. 



When Paul was a Pharisee, he thought himself blame- 
less, but when a Christian he called himself the chief 
of sinners. 



Those that walh in pride he is able to abase. — -Daniel 
iv. 3T. 



The world cannot exalt a proud man so high, but 
God can bring him low ; neither can the world so de- 
base an humble man, but God can exalt him. 



The world may strive to pull him down, 
But God can raise him to a crown. 



Learn to stand more in awe of thyself than of others. 



We should more often judge cautiously if, on hear- 
ing a sentiment opposed to our own, we were to re- 
member the bias of education and interest; asking 
ourselves how would it be with us under similar cir- 
cumstances ? 



We should weigh general sincerity, integrity, merit, 
and usefulness, against partial, blemishes or deficiencies. 



Watch and pra^, are two monosyllables which easily 
.31 



362 GLEANINGS FROM 

slip off the tongue, and yet they contain the great rule 

of Christianity as given by its great Author. 

Whoever examines the wants of his own heart, and 
the appropriate assistance which the Gospel furnishes, 
will find them to be two tallies which exactly corres- 
pond — an internal evidence, stronger perhaps than 
any other, of the truth of revelation. 

How cross soever the winds and tides of providence 
at any time seem to us, yet nothing is more certain, 
than that they all conspire to hasten sanctified souls 
to God, and fit them for glory. 



Who would not, with a heart at ease, 
Bright eye, unclouded brow, 

Wisdom and goodness at the helm, 
The roughest ocean plough ? 



What tongue can tell, what heart conceive, the joy 
which is reserved in heaven for those who have here, 
by the work of grace, been assimilated to Jesus Christ ? 
Beloved, now are we the sons of Grod, and it doth not 
yet appear ivhat we shall be : hut we know that, when 
he shall ap'pear, we shall he like him, for we shall see 
him as he is. 1 John iii. 2. 



Father, Redeemer, Comforter Divine ! 

This humble offering to thy equal shrine 

Here thy unworthy servant grateful pays 

Of undivided thanks, united praise. 

For all those mercies, which at birth began, 

And ceaseless flowed thro ' life's long lengthen'd span ; 

Propp'd my frail frame through all the varied scene, 

With health enough for many a day serene ; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 363 

Enough of science clearly to discern 

How few important truths the wisest learn ; 

Enough of arts ingenious to employ 

The vacant hours, when graver studies cloy ; 

Enough of wealth to serve each honest end, 

The poor to succour, or assist a friend ; 

Enough of faith in Scripture to descry, 

That the sure hope of immortality. 

Which only can the fear of death remove, 

Flows from the fountain of Redeeming Love. 



But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy 
are ye; and he not afraid of their terror, neither he 
troubled. 1 Peter iii. 14. 



Many wintry blasts will meet you in the most in- 
offensive way of religion, if you keep straight to it. 
Suffering and war with the world is a part of the godly 
man's portion here, which seems hard ; but take it al- 
together it is sweet ; none in their wits will refuse that 
legacy entire — These things have I spoJcen unto you, 
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall 
have trihulation ; hut he of good cheer, I have overcome 
the world. 



Traveller through this vale of tears, 
Art thou tried with doubts and fears ? 
Does the tempter still assail, 
Till thou think he must prevail ? 
Do the clouds that intervene 
Dim the light thou once hast seen ? 
Dost thou fear thy faith is gone, 
And that thou art left alone, 



364 GLEANINGS FROM 

A wanderer, on life's dreary coast? 
Thy guide and comfort nearly lost ? 

Hear a fellow-traveller's lay — 
One who has trod the painful way; 
Who in the journey he has past, 
Has met with many a bitter blast : 
Upon whose head the storm has beat, 
While many a thorn has pierced his feet; 
But matchless mercy hitherto 
Has interposed, and helped him through, 
And e'en enabled him to raise, 
Ofttimes the joyful song of praise. 
In patience, then, possess thy soul; 
Stand still ; for while the thunders roll, 
Thy Saviour sees thee through the gloom, 
And will to thy assistance come. 
Trust, humbly trust in his defence ; 
Preserve thy hope and confidence ; 
To him apply in fervent prayer; 
On him, in faith, cast all thy care; 
Then will the tempest pass away. 
Then will the night give place to day; 
And thou, rejoicingly, shalt find 
These trials wisely were design'd 
To subject every wish of thine 
Completely to the will divine ; 
To fix thy heart on things above ; 
To fill thy soul with heavenly love ; 
And, through the power of mighty grace, 
To fit thee for that glorious place 
Where saints and angels round the throne 
Tor ever sing, " Thy will be done." 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 365 

Ignatius, "who lived within the first hundred years 
after Christ, and was torn in pieces of wild beasts at 
Rome, for his true faith in Jesus, left this, among 
other things, behind him: ^' There is nothing better 
than the peace of a good conscience;" intimating, there 
might be a peace to wicked consciences, that are past 
feeling anything to be evil, but swallowed up of the 
wickedness of the world. And in his epistle to the 
churches at Ephesus, Magnetia, Trallis, and Rome, 
upon his martyrdom, saith: ''Now I begin to be a dis- 
ciple ; I weigh neither visible nor invisible things ; so 
that I may gain Christ." 0, heavenly-minded man ! 
A blessed martyr of Jesus indeed ! 



That which is taught by the silent, ever-influencing 
language of general example, is often too much over- 
looked, even by those who recommend religion to their 
children, as a thing of the first importance. He who 
habitually drives it into a corner, who urges the extreme 
desirableness of laying up treasures in heaven, while 
his dearest ones are evinced by his conduct to be on 
earth; who insists on the excellence and importance of 
meekness, patience, and charity, while he is no way 
remarkable for the exercise of those graces himself; 
who descants on the vanity of the world, while he is 
seen to be a slave to its opinions and fashions, can 
hardly expect much success from his labours. 



I know him that he will command his children and 
Ms household after him, and they shall keep the way 
of the Lord. Genesis xviii. 19. 



" Religion (says a popular writer) is the only thing 
in which Ave seem to look for the end without making 
31* 



366 GLEANINGS FROM 

use of the means ; and jet it would not be more sur- 
prising if we were to expect that our children should 
become artists and scholars, without being bred to arts 
and languages, than it is to look for a Christian with- 
out a Christian education." 



Train up a child in the way he should go^ and when 
he is old, he will not dei:) art from it. Prov. xxii. 6. 



If our condition here be as prosperous as we could 
wish or imagine, it is but for a little season. The rich 
man in the Gospel talked of many years, but, Thou fool^ 
this night shall thy soul he required of thee, was the 
longest period. 



They who the longest lease enjoy 
Have told us with a sigh. 

That, to be born, seems little more 
Than to be^in to die. 



The hardest and the best arithmetic we can learn is 
this — so to number our days that we may apply our 
hearts unto wisdom ; but this we must learn of a Divine 
Teacher. 



Parisian Life. — An anecdote, furnished by Hannah 
More. — " A lady who very properly attended her hus- 
band to Prance, who went in an official character, soon 
after her arrival wrote to a friend how very painful 
everything she saw and heard was to her ; the levity, 
the round of pleasure, the desecration of the Sab- 
bath ; — in short, the whole frivolous and vicious routine ; 
her life was such that she longed to return home. 
About a year after they were recalled to London. 
Before her departure she wrote to the same friend, that 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 367 

she was grieved to be forced to quit a place so truly 
delightful, and that she could not leave without the 
deepest regret, those amiable people whom, perhaps, 
she might see no more ! This very lady had frequently 
said, that English women were held in such abhorrence 
by the Parisians, that she was obliged to dress like a 
French woman to escape insult. So it is when we 
cultivate familiarity with sin 



Sin is a monster of such frightful mien, 
As to be hated, needs but to be seen ; 
Yet seen too oft, familiar grows its face, 
We first despise, then pity, then embrace. 



Chesterfield. — I have run the silly rounds of 
pleasure, and have done with them all. I have en- 
joyed all the pleasures of the world, I appraise them 
at their real worth, which is in truth very low ; those 
who have only seen their outside always overrate them, 
but I have been behind the scenes, I have seen all the 
course pullies and dirty ropes which move the gaudy 
machines, and I have seen and smelt the tallow candles 
which illuminate the whole decoration to the astonish- 
ment and admiration of the ignorant audience. When 
I reflect on what I have seen, what I have heard, and 
what I have done, I can hardly persuade myself that 
all that frivolous hurry and bustle of pleasure in the 
world had any reality ; but I look upon all that is 
passed as one of those romantic dreams which opium 
commonly occasions, and I do by no means desire to 
repeat the nauseous dose. 



368 



GLEANINGS FROM 



Pleasure's the fatal rock which most have split on ; 
For men, bewitched by the cursed syren's voice, 
Sail on regardless till they strike on ruin. 



Keligious duties are often neglected upon more con- 
sistent grounds than the friends of religion are willing 
to allow. They are often discontinued, not as repug- 
nant to the understanding, not as repulsive to the judg- 
ment, but as hostile to a licentious life. And when a 
prudent man, after having entered into a solemn 
convention, finds that he is livins: in a constant breach 
of every article of the treaty he has engaged to observe, 
one cannot much wonder at his getting out of the 
hearing of the heavy artillery which he knows is planted 
against him, and against every one who lives in the al- 
lowed infraction of the covenant into which every 
Christian has entered. 



One of the most infallible arts by which the inex- 
perienced are engaged on the side of irreligion, is that 
popular air of candour, good-nature, and toleration, 
which it so invariably puts on. While sincere piety is 
often accused of moroseness and severity, because it 
cannot hear the doctrines on which it founds its eter- 
nal hopes, derided without emotion ; indifference and 
unbelief purchase the praise of candour at an easy 
price, because they neither suffer grief, nor express 
indignation at hearing the most awful truths ridiculed, 
or the most solemn obligations set at nought. They 
do not engage on equal terms. The infidel appears 
good-humoured from his very levity ; but the Christian 
cannot jest on subjects which involve his everlasting 
salvation. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 369 

Eyes dazzled long by fiction's gaudy rays, 
In modest truth no light nor beauty find. 



To endeavour to gain the perfect happiness promised 
in the next world, is the surest way to gain the greatest 
happiness this world can bestow. 



God often touches our best comforts, and calls for 
that which we most love, and are least willing to part 
with. Not that he always takes it utterly away, but 
to prove the soul's integrity, to caution us from ex- 
cesses, and that we may remember Him, the author 
of those blessings we possess, and live loose to them ; 
the way to keep our enjoyments is to resign them ; 
and though that be hard, it is sweet to see them re- 
turned, as Isaac was to his father Abraham, with more 
love and blessing than before. 



Our hearts are fastened to this world 

By strong and tender ties ; 
But every sorrow cuts a string, 

And urges us to rise. 

An hour shall come, (you question this,) 
An hour when you shall bless, 

Beyond the brightest beams of life, 
Dark days of your distress. 



John Fletcher. — This distinguished man, although 
conspicuously lowly in heart, was by nature a man of 
strong passions, and prone to anger in particular, inso- 
much that it is said he has frequently spent the greater 
part of the night bathed in tears, imploring victory 
over his own spirit ; and he did not strive in vain, for 
so thoroughly was nature subdued by Divine grace, 



370 GLEANINGS FROM 

that for many years before his death it is believed 
neither friend nor foe could charge him with being out 
of temper on any provocation "whatever. 

When we fix our hope, and our heart, on the only 
true and dependable support, all is safe, and the soul 
treads firm while the globe trembles. Let eternal things 
be borne this way or that, there is peace within ; nor, 
when all methods have been examined, can any other 
be found for the establishment of the mind, than that it 
should lay all its stress upon the one immovable and 
immutable rock. 



The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my heart 
trusted in Him, and I am helped : therefore my heart 
greatly rejoiceth ; and with my song will I praise Him, 
Psalm xxviii 7. 



Those who are already members of the Church of 
Christ, can indeed require no labour of love on our 
parts to their conversion. But Christians are called 
upon to be fellow-helpers one of another in their spirit- 
ual course. They must individually endeavour to build 
up their brethren in that holy faith which was once de- 
livered to the saints ; they must provoke to love and to 
good works, by joint and reciprocal efforts, the whole 
church must "edify itself in love." How often are 
Christian pilgrims cheered on their way, by the help 
and encouragement which they derive from each other ; 
how often do they find, to their joy and comfort, that 
as "iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the 
countenance of his friend !" And what ought to be 
our conduct towards those who love the Lord Jesus, 
but are nevertheless overcome for a season, by the 



PIOUS AUTHOES. 371 

enemy of their souls ? Brethren, if a man he overtaken 
in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one 
in the spirit of meekness ; considering thyself, lest thou 
also be tempted. Bear ye one another s burden, and 
so fulfil the law of Christ. 

Beyond the dark and stormy bound 
That guards our dull horizon round, 

A lovelier vale extends ; 
Messiah rul€s in mercy there. 
And o'er his altar bright in air, 

The morning star ascends. 

Oh ! holy seat of love and peace, 
The sounds of war and conflict cease, 

"Withm thy quiet reign ; 
And every flower of fairest hue, 
That once in favoured Eden grew. 

Shall rise and bloom again. 

When once poisoned with prejudice, we can find 
faults in the best characters, and if disposed to com- 
pare them with ourselves, by holding the balance in 
our own hands, we can make them preponderate as 
we please. 

If once to prejudice the soul's resigned. 
If prepossession gains the unwary mind. 
In vain prefers poor innocence her plea, 
For as our passions dictate we decree ; 
Justice no more suspends her equal scale. 
But spite or faction over truth prevail. 

Those who by grace keep a good conscience, may 
cheerfully trust God with keeping their good name. 



372 GLEANINGS FROM 

Paul did this when he said the Lord was able to keep 
that which he had committed unto him. 2 TiM. i. 12. 



But he hnoweth the way that I taJce : when he hath 
tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job xxiii. 10. 

Ridicule and raillery, especially in religious matters, 
are the weapons of pride, ignorance, and envy. 

Although the infirmities of human nature should not 
be sported with, yet it would be well for mankind if 
ridicule would confine itself there, but it extends its 
baneful influences over the best of mental qualities, for 
perhaps there is not a virtue to be named but ridicule 
can, through some false medium, distort into a vice. 
The glass of ridicule reflects things not only darkly, 
but falsely also, for it always discolors the objects be- 
fore it ventures to represent them to us ; thus, for in- 
stance, it will clothe prudence in the garb of avarice, 
call courage rashness, cleanliness or emulation pride; 
it will brand generosity with the name of prodigality, 
and cheerfulness with that of levity ; it will laugh at 
the compassionate for his weakness, at the serious man 
for his preciseness, and the pious man for his hypo- 
crisy ; indeed it never seems so happy as when it can 
stamp the marks of deformity and guilt upon innocence 
and goodness. 



I It is impossible to be sincere, and especially to sup- 
port the Christian character, if we always assent to 
and comply with our connections, and the company 
we happen to be in ; indeed it is not only a vice, but the pa- 
rent of many more. Temporizing overthrows all stead- 
iness of principle, and produces that sinful conformity 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 373 

to the world, which taints the whole character ; nay, 
indeed it is criminal on various occasions, if we do not 
oppose the world though we should stand alone, or suf- 
fer in so doing. 



GuRNALL says to the Temporizer — " Professor, 
be open and plain-hearted with God and man, keep 
the King's highway^ the plain, honest way of Chris- 
tian doctrines, and holy obedience." 

More are inclined to believe than to investigate ; 
and many turn aside to the error that is next at hand, 
rather than take the pains to find out the truth. 



Seize upon truth where'er 'tis found. 
Amongst your friends, amongst your foes, 
On Christian or on Heathen ground ; 
The flower's divine where'er it grows. 



A man may preserve his probity, but it is not in the 
power of the best to keep his reputation, as human 
nature is so depraved, and there is so much envy and 
policy in the world ; he is therefore in a wretched case 
who depends upon the judgment of other persons in 
his happiness ; if any speak evil of us, we should make 
use of it as a caution, and reason thus: "If I am in- 
nocent, the Lord will protect me ; if not, I will en- 
deavour to alter my conduct." 



R. Hill, when once scurrilously attacked in one of 
the public journals, was urged by a zealous friend to 
bring a legal action in defence ; to this he replied with 
calm, unruffled dignity — " I shall neither answer the 
libel, nor prosecute the writer, and that for two rea- 
32 



374 GLEANINGS FEOM 

sons : first, because, in attempting the former, I should 
probably be betrayed into unbecoming violence of 
temper and expression, to my own grief, and the 
wounding of my friends ; and in the next place, I have 
learned by experience, that no man's character can he 
eventually injured hut hy his oivn acts.'' 



CowPER ON Pilgrim's Progress : — 

thou whom, borne on fancy's eager wing 
Back to the season of life's happy spring, 

1 pleas'd remember, and, while memory yet 
Holds fast her office here, can ne'er forget ; 
Ingenious dreamer, in whose well-told tale 
Sweet fiction and sweet truth alike prevail; 

Whose humorous vein, strong sense, and simple style, 
May teach the gayest, make the gravest smile : 
Witty, and well employed, and, like thy Lord, 
Speaking in parables his slightest word : 
I name thee not, lest so despised a name 
Should move a sneer at thy deserved fame : 
Yet e'en in transitory life's last day, 
That mingles all my brown with sober grey, 
Revere the man whose Pilgrim marks the road, 
And guides the Progress of the soul to God. 



Envy is glad to injure a good man because grudging 
him the esteem in which he is held ; she will take a 
jaundiced view of what he does and endeavour that 
others shall see through the same perverted medium. 

How sweet the words of Truth breathed from the 
lips of Love ! 



Who loves his God aright, his brother loves. 



PIOUS AUTHOES. 375 

If the Christian labourer meet with success he may 
expect clamour and threats from the world, and a little 
venom now and then from its children. These bitter 
herbs often prove correctives when the heart is too 
much lifted up. The greater the encouragement, the 
greater the opposition : but the Lord sitteth upon the 
flood ; yea^ the Lord sitteth king for ever. PSALM 
xxix. 10. 



When adverse storms obscure my sky, 
Oh ! let me feel that thou art nigh ; 
Or if prosperity be mine, 
That all which I possess is thine. 



As rivers cannot rest till they come into the sea, so 
renewed souls cannot be fully satisfied till they come 
to Heaven. 



My soul is pained, nor can it be 
At rest, till it find rest in Thee. 



The principal spiritual trade of a Christian is his 
home-trade^ such as meditation, self-examination, sup- 
plication, and praise ; this is more than enough to 
employ all his time without looking at others' faults. 

The growth of a Christian is not like a mushroom, 
but like an oak, which increases slowly but surely ; 
many suns, showers, and frosts pass upon it before it 
comes to perfection, and in winter, when it seems dead, 
it is gathering strength at the root. 

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard 
seed, which a man took and sowed in his field ; which 
indeed is the least of all seeds ; but when it is grown 



376 GLEANINGS FROM 

it is the greatest among herbs, and beeometh a tree, so 
that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches 
thereof. Matt. xiii. 31, 32. 

Holy society is a part of the felicity of Heaven. 

The communion of saints on earth, though pleasing,! 
commonly is transient. Different employments and 
services call them to different places, but under the 
influence of the same spirit, they will all serve their 
generation, and then they will meet before the throne, 
to part no more, but to join in unceasing praises to 
their Lord and Saviour. 



/ beheld^ and lo, a great multitude, which no man 
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, 
and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the 
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
hands ; and cried with a loud voice, saying. Saltation 
to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb. Rev. vii. 9, 10. 



To be able to bear provocation is an argument of 
wisdom, and to forgive injuries proves a great mind, 
for a more glorious victory cannot be obtained over 
another man than this, that when the injury began on 
his part, the kindness should be begun and continued 
on ours. 



Hall. — " There is not so much need of learning as 
of grace to apprehend those things which concern our 
everlasting peace, neither is it so much our brain that 
must be set to work, but our hearts. However excel- 
lent the use of scholarship in all the sacred employ- 
ments of divinity may be, yet in the main act of 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 377 

salvation, skill must give place to faith and love. The 
most learned will find one touch of Christ more worth 
to their souls than all their deep and laborious disqui- 
sitions : if you know all learning, and cannot by grace 
say, ' I know in whom I have believed,' (and die in that 
state) you will be completely miserable." 

Thy triumphs, Faith, we need not take 

Alone from the blest martyr's stake 

In scenes obscure no less we see 

That faith is a reality ; 

An evidence of things not seen, 

A substance firm whereon to lean. 

Go, search the cottager's lone room. 

The day scarce piercing through the gloom ; 

The Christian on his dying-bed. 

Unknown, unlettered, hardly fed ; 

No flattering witnesses attend, 

To tell how glorious was his end; 

Save in the book of life, his name 

Unheard. He never dreamt of fame 

No human consolation near. 

No voice to soothe, no friend to cheer ; 

Of every earthly stay bereft, 

And nothing — but his Saviour left. 

Fast sinking to his kindred dust. 
The word of life is still his trust ; 
The joy God's promises impart 
Lies like a cordial at his heart ; 
Unshaken Faith its strength supplies, 
He loves, believes, adores, and dies ! 

82* 



878 GLEANINGS FROM 

Sometimes one believer hears another pray with 
great freedom, and sees others abounding with joy in 
the Lord, while he has no liberty, and very little joy; 
perhaps it is necessary for such a saint at such a time 
to be kept humble, but perhaps shortly he may be lifted 
up also. 

Shake from my soul, o'erwhelm'd, deprest, 

Th' encumbering load that galls its rest ; 

That wastes her strength with bondage vain ; 

With courage break the enslaving chain ! 

Let faith exert its conquering power ; 

Say, in thy fearing, trembling hour — 

*' Father ! thy pitying aid impart!" 

'Tis done ; a sigh can reach his heart. 

Yet if more earnest plaints to raise, 

Awhile his succors he delays ; 

Though his kind hand thou canst not feel, 

The smart let lenient patience heal ; 

Or if corruption's strength prevail, 

And oft thy pilgrim footsteps fail, 

Lift for his grace thy louder cries. 

So shalt thou cleansed and stron2:er rise. 



The following among other v^'ise sentences are se- 
lected from the papers of the Countess of Warwick, 
who was accounted an eminent pattern of zeal for the 
glory of God, and who died in the exercise of prayer, 
according to a petition she had often preferred, "if al- 
lowed to choose the manner and circumstance" of her 
departure. — 

" He who takes up Christ's cross aright, shall find 
it such a burden as wings to a bird, or sails to a ship." 
' It is a great honour to be almoner to the King of 
Heaven." 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 379 

"To be libelled for Christ is the best panegyric." 
" The best shield against slanderers is to live so that 
none may believe them." 

Those "who go on with vigour and zeal in the work 
of the Lord, must expect to meet with hindrances, both 
from the groundless disaffection of their enemies, and 
the mistaken affections of their friends, and have need 
to stand upon their guard against both. 



Alexander Cruden. — It is stated respecting this 
esteemed Author of the Concordance, that "he had 
no lingering illness. Having gone to his room as 
usual, the maid, ringing in the morning, found no 
answer. She went to his room ; he was not there — to 
his bed-chamber ; he was not there — into his closet, 
where he had an easy chair ; here she found him, 
kneeling in the chair, his hands lifted up to heaven — 
quite dead !" 



No one can be qualified to feed the sheep and Iambs 
of Christ, who does not love the good Shepherd more 
than any earthly advantage or object. 

Hall. — Upon the sight of a tree full-blossomed.-^ 
" Here is a tree overlaid with blossoms ; it is not pos- 
sible that all these should prosper ; one of them must 
needs rob the other of moisture- and growth. I do not 
love to see an infancy over-hopeful ; in these pregnant 
beginnings one faculty starves another, and at last 
leaves the mind sapless and barren. As, therefore, 
we are wont to pull off some of the too-frequent blos- 
soms that the rest may thrive, so it is good wisdom to 
moderate the early excess of the parts or progress of 
over-forward childhood. Neither is it otherwise in our 



380 GLEANINGS mOM 

Christian profession ; a sudden and lavish ostentation of 
grace may fill the eye -with wonder, and the mouth 
with talk,- but will not, at the last, fill the lap with 
fruit. 



Leighton. — Some one said to him, "You have been 
to hear a sermon." ''I met a sermon," was his answer, 
" a sermon de facto^ for I met a corpse ; and rightly 
and profitably are the funeral rites observed when the 
living lay it to heart." 



Let usfea7% lest a pi^omise being left us of entering 
into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 
Heb. iv. 1. 



Self-love blinds the eyes of the mind, so that we 
cannot see our real state and condition. This was the 
case with the declining church of Laodicea. She 
fancied herself rich and increased with goods, and as 
having need of nothing ; when in the eye of the all- 
searching Jesus she was wretched and miserable, and 
poor, and blind, and naked. Of Ephraim it was said : 
gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth 
it not. Of Ephesus : thou hast left thy first love. Of 
Sardis : thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 
So blind are we to our spiritual declensions ! All are 
not believers who believe themselves to be such. The 
Divine touchstone is : By their fruits ye shall know 
them. 



What begins in vanity, must end in vexation of 
spirit ; indeed, it does not wait for the end, but travels 
with it through its whole course, robbing its progress 
of enjoyment, and its end of consolation. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 381 

'Tis the humble God protects, 
'Tis the meek his light directs, 
'Tis the mourner sings his song, 
'Tis the weak he renders strong, 
'Tis the simple who are taught 
Wisdom passing human thought — 
Lowly, mourning, simple, weak — 
These his glorious praises speak. 

Adam's Private Thoughts. — For a great part of 
my life I did not know that I was poor, and naked, and 
blind, and miserable. I have known it for some time with- 
out feeling it. Thank God, I now begin to be pinched 
■with it. Stand aside. Pride, for a moment, and let 
me see that ugly thing, myself. 



All our removes from this world are but from one 
wilderness to another. Upon any change that is before 
us, we are apt to promise ourselves a Canaan^ but we 
shall be deceived, it will only be a wilderness. 



We are apt to indulge in too sanguine hopes of en- 
joyment from the blessings we expect, and permit too 
much indifference for those we possess. We scorn 
many sources of satisfaction, which we might have had 
in the interim, and permit our comfort to be disturbed, 
and our time to pass unenjoyed, from impatience for 
some imagined pleasure at a distance, which we may 
perhaps never obtain, or which, when obtained, may 
change its nature, and be no longer pleasure. 

Doubtless tJiou art our Father, tJiough Abraham he 
ignorant of us, and Israel achnoivledge us not : thou, 
Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer : thy name is 
from everlasting. Isaiah Ixiii. 16. 



382 GLEAI<[I]SrGS FROM 

A child is truly like bis father, when not only his 
image resembles him, but still more so his mind and 
inward disposition ; thus are the true children of God 
like their heavenly Eather. It is no matter though 
the profane world (which so hates God that it cannot 
endure his image) do mock and revile ; it is thy honour 
to be, as Pavid said, (2 Sam. vi. 22,) thus more vile, 
in growing still more like unto him in holiness. What 
though the polite man count thy fashion a little odd 
and too precise, it is because he knows nothing about 
that model of goodness which he hath set himself, and 
therefore approves of nothing beyond it; he knows 
not God, and therefore does not discern and esteem 
that is most like him. When courtiers come down into 
the country, the home-bred people possibly think their 
habit strange ; but they care not for that, it is the 
fashion at court. What neea then that the godly should 
be so tender-foreheaded, as to be put out of counte- 
nance because the world looks on holiness as a sing- 
ularity ; it is the only fashion in the highest court, 
yea, of the King of kings himself. 

Leighton. — It was observed of this pious man that 
he discovered a judgment equal to his modesty, and 
exemplified the saying of Solomon, that "with the 
lowly is wisdom." Being once interrogated about the 
saints reigning with Christ, he tried to elude the ques- 
tion by merely replying, If we suffer with Mm, we shall 
also reign with him. 



A proper consideration of the infinite holiness of 
God will humble us to the dust. When Isaiah saw 
the glory of the Lord, and heard the seraphim cry, 
Solif, holy, holy, he cried out of his own and the peo- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 383 

pie's unholiness, Woe is me, for I am undone, for I 
am a mail of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst 
of a people of unclean lips ; for mine eyes have seen 
the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah vi. 5. 



Holj patience is not the natural growth of the human 
heart, yet in that frame of mind we can alone find our 
resting place in a trying hour. We must be still, that 
we may know the Lord our God. 



Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord ; for he is 
raised up out of his holy habitation. Zech. ii. 13. 



Cecil. — " My own mind is frequently tossed about 
in the view of present affairs, (I mean of a religious kind, 
for I pay but little regard to politics); sometimes I de- 
spond, at other times I am for pursuing, then again I 
sink, till I take up the Bible, or go into the sanctuary 
and see the end of these men, and the stability of Di- 
vine truth. I feel also that a Christian must be a man 
of faith every step of the way, and one whom the world 
knows not, though he so well knows the world." 



The Wild Palm Tree. — 

'Mid rocks, and sands, and barrenness, 

How beautiful to see 
The wild Palm in its desert dress — 

The solitary tree. 

Alone amid the silent wild, 
It rears its spreading crest ; 

The boundless desert's favoured child, 
In constant verdure drest. 



384 GLEANINGS FROM 

An emblem of that faith -which cheers 

The pilgrim on his road, 
Through life's dark vale of care and tears, 

Beneath this earthly load. 

For, like the faith alone it stands, 

A bright oasis in the sands. 
With hand-like leaves against the sky, 

Pointing to Immortality ! 



They who dare to confess the Lord, and to appear 
openly on his side, in the midst of this sinful and per- 
verse generation, shall find to their comfort, that he 
will confess them, and appear on their behalf, before 
the holy angels. It will be seen there, who acted the 
wisest part liere. 

The Lord preserveth all them that love him, but all 
the wicked will he destroy. PsALM. cxlv. 20. 



It happened at Port Royal, in Jamaica, that two 
young men were at dinner with Jonathan Dickinson 
and divers other people of account in the world, and 
they were speaking about earthquakes, there having 
been one in that place formerly, which was very dread- 
ful, having destroyed many houses and families. These 
two young men argued that earthquakes, and all other 
things, came by nature, and denied a supernatural 
power, or Deity ; insomuch that many, surprised at 
such wicked discourse, and being ashamed of their com- 
pany, left it; and at the same time the earth shook and 
trembled exceedingly, as though astonished at such 
treason against its Sovereign and Creator, whose foot- 
stool it is ; and when the earth thus moved, the com- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 385 

pany which remained were so astonished, that some 
ran one way and some another, but these two atheis- 
tical young men staid in the room, and Jonathan Dick- 
inson with them, he believing that the providence of 
Almighty God could preserve him there if he pleased, 
and if not, that it was in vain to fly ; but the hand of 
God smote these two young men, so that they fell 
down ; and as Jonathan said, he laid one on a bed and 
the other on a couch, and they never spoke more, but 
died soon after. 



Sir Christopher Hatton — a little before his death. 
— " It is deservedly accounted a piece of excellent 
knowledge to understand the law of the land, and the 
custom of a man's country; how much more to know 
the statutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity ; those 
immutable and eternal laws of justice and righteous- 
ness ! To know the will and pleasure of the great 
Monarch, and universal King of the world ! / have 
seen an end of all perfection ; but thy commandment is 
exceeding broad. 



In the experience of good men, there is an universal 
oneness, and yet a beautiful variety. 



Those who represent religion as gloomy, are like the 
spies who brought a false report of Canaan which dis- 
couraged the people ; but those who show us the joy and 
cheerfulness that attend real goodness, are like the spies 
bringing a good report, and also the cluster of grapes, by 
which they invite others into the pleasant and fruitful 
country. 



386 GLEANINGS FROM 

It seems the part of wisdom, and no sin 
Agains:t the law of love, to measure lots 
With less distinguished than ourselves ; that thus 
We may with patience bear our moderate ills, 
And sympathise with others suffering more. 



Godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 TlM» 
vi. 6. 



As it frequently happens that many persons in easy 
circumstances (or who have many comfortable things) 
are notwithstanding very discontented, it would be well 
for some friend thus to reason with them ; " Have you 
ever compared your situation with those who labour in 
the golden mines of Peru, or with those in your own 
country who have hardly ever seen the sun, but live 
confined in tin mines, stone quarries, and coal-pits ? 
before you think yourself miserable, take a survey of 
the gaols in which debtors are confined, and some even 
for life ; walk through the wards of an hospital ; think 
of the hardships of a common soldier or sailor ; think 
of the galley slave, and the day labourer ; reflect upon 
the condition of many large poor families who have 
continual distress or sickness. Many are often wit- 
nesses to scenes even more wretched than these, where 
to poverty, cold, and nakedness, are added the languors 
of lingering and loathsome diseases, and the torments 
of excruciating pain." Now let those who are miser- 
able amongst many mercies, return as it were from 
these sad scenes to their closets, and gratefully acknow- 
ledge the goodness of God in exempting them from so 
many real ills, which so many labour under, and instead 
of spending their hours in brooding over their own 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 387 

imaginary evils, let them be continually cheerful, happy, 
and thankful. 



Happy, oh happy he, who not affecting 
The endless toils attending worldly cares, 

With mind reposed, all discontents rejecting, 
In silent peace his way to heaven prepares. 

Deeming his life a scene, the world a stage, 

Whereon man acts his weary pilgrimage. 



The way to bliss lies not on beds of down : 

He that hath borne no cross, will ne'er receive a crown. 



What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man sap 
he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily 
food, 

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be 
ye warmed and filled: notwithstanding ye give them not 
those things which are needful to the body : what doth it 
profit 

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being 
alone. James ii. 14, 15, 16, J7. 



John Thorp's Letters. — " One evening when I 
lived in London, as I passed by rather a retired corner 
of a street, a poor woman sat (I think with a child in 
her arms) and very modestly asked charity. I felt pity 
strongly raised in my heart, and a language like this 
was feelingly suggested, the Lord help thee ; but I 
passed by, and it very livingly arose in my heart, by 
what means ? — by putting it into the hearts of such as 
can feel as thou now dost, to relieve her. I turned 
back and gave her something." 



388 GLEANINGS FROM 

That sort of self-denial, which is the least practised, 
is the denying ourselves lawful things for the good of 
others. 



God looks upon his beloved flock as one, in whom, 
as one, he designs to move and act and bring forth 
the blessing of his kingdom. Why do they not know 
one another ? Why are they so shy and estranged one 
from another ? Why do they contend or divide from 
one another ? No, rather in that charity ye profess, 
run to embrace each other. Bear, forbear, forgive, 
suffer, condescend, submit, anything: God has resolved 
to make you one for ever. The righteous Job could 
defend himself well enough against what his friends 
could charge him with, and so stood much upon his 
own vindication and innocence. But when God comes 
to charge him, and show him his more deep and hidden 
defects, which he was not aware of, he is then con- 
strained to lay down the plea of his own righteousness, 
and cry out, " I abhor myself, and repent in dust and 
ashes." Even so the most nearly perfect of us will 
have need enough to do when God comes to sift, and 
try, and touch us to the quick in the relics of our cor- 
rupted nature, and the secret hold of the enemy yet 
therein. It is those that know themselves the least 
that are most forward to censure, accuse, and judge 
their brethren. 



What can more effectually frustrate the grand ob- 
ject, which we all ought to have at heart, of assisting 
to reform the world, than that those who in their dif 
ferent stations should he aiming at this only, should 
ever be found suspecting and traducing each other? 
What should we think of soldiers who, when one corps 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 389 

was stationed for the defence of a particular town, and 
another sent out to attack a post, or to scour the coun- 
try, if instead of attending to their distinct appoint- 
ments, they should be engaged in weakening and be- 
traying each other, and thereby the cause itself, into 
the hand of the common enemy ? But it is the com- 
mon enemy who has a chief hand in these divisions of 
heart ; and which those who are really intent on the 
success of the common cause should reprobate and 
watch against, as one of his deepest devices. Oh ! 
may that charity which sufFereth long and is kind, 
and which is opposed to evil surmisings and perverse 
disputings, be more completely in exercise, then would 
discord cease to mar the services of those who but for 
this alloy would be distinguished and effectual labour- 
ers in the vineyard of our Lord! 



Green as the leaf, and ever fair 
Shall his profession shine ; 

While fruits of holiness appear 
Like clusters on the vine. 



The more diligent we are in private communion with 
God, the more conspicuously shall we bear the mark 
of his spirit upon us in our whole demeanour and con- 
versation among men. 



GuRNALL. — " Grace is of a stirring nature, it will 
show itself in holiness and good works ; it will walk 
with you and talk with you in all places and compa- 
nies ; it will buy with you, and sell with you, and have 
a hand in all your actions. It is a sad thing when be- 
lievers are off their guard, when they profess to have 



33* 



390 GLEANINGS FROM 

been on the mount as Moses really was, and yet like 
him they no sooner come down than they turn and 
break the commandments. A Christian should let us 
see his graces walking abroad in his daily conversation, 
and if such guests are in the house, they will often 
look out at the windows, and be publicly seen abroad 
in all duties and holy actions." 



Sir Matthew Hale. — " They that truly fear God, 
have a secret guidance from a higher wisdom than what 
is barely human, namely, the spirit of truth and good- 
ness ; which does really, though secretly, prevent and 
direct them. Any man that sincerely and truly fears 
Almighty God, and calls and relies upon him for his 
direction, has it as really as a son has the counsel and 
direction of his father ; and though the voice be not 
audible, nor discernible by sense, yet it is equally as real 
as if a man heard a voice, saying, "This is the way, 
walk in it." Though this secret direction of Almighty 
God is principally seen in matters relating to the good 
of the soul — yet it may also be found in the concerns 
of this life ; — which a good man, that fears God and 
begs his direction, shall very often, if not at all times, 
find. I can call my own experience to testify that even 
in the external actions of my whole life, I was never 
disappointed of the best guidance and direction, when I 
have, in humility and sincerity, implored the secret di- 
rection and guidance of the divine wisdom." 



True religion is not a matter of mere feeling and 
strong emotion, but a matter of judgment, and consci- 
ence, and practical principle. You must recollect that 
the minds of men are variously^constituted as regards 
susceptibility of emotion. Some persons are possessed 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 391 

of far livelier feelings than others, and are far more 
easily moved; Tve see this in the common subjects of 
life as well as in religion. One man feels as truly the 
affection of love for his wife and children as another 
whose love is more vehement, though he may not fon- 
dle, caress, and talk of them so much ; he may not even 
suffer those paroxysms of alarm when anything ails 
them, nor of frantic grief when they are taken from 
him; but he loves them so as to prefer them to all 
others, to labour for them, to make sacrifices for their 
comfort, and really to grieve when they are removed. 
His love and grief are as sincere and practical, though 
they are not boisterous, passionate, and noisy ; his princi- 
ple of attachment is as strong, if his passions be not so ar- 
dent. Passion depends on constitutional temperament, 
but principle does not. Mere emotion, therefore, whether 
in religion or other matters, is no test of the genuine- 
ness of affection. 



To weep with those that weep, is as much a duty as 
to rejoice with those that rejoice, while there is a se- 
cret consolation that it flows from the mind of Christ 
within us ; for when the family of his friend Lazarus 
partook of the cup of human woe, Jesus wept. 



If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and 
if he he thirsty, give him water to drink ; for thou shall 
heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall re- 
ward thee. Prov. XXV. 21, 22. 



It was the opinion of the well known Lavater, that 
*'he who has not forgiven an enemy has never yet 
tasted one of the most sublime enjoyments of life." 

Is there a man who, if he were admitted to stand by 



6\)Z GLEANINGS FROM 

the death-bed of his bitterest enemy, would not be in- 
clined to stretch forth the hand of friendship, and to 
"wish for a perfect reconciliation before he left the 
world ? Who is there that, when he beholds the re- 
mains of his adversary deposited in the dust, feels not 
some relentings at the remembrance of those past ani- 
mosities which mutually embittered their life ? Upon 
this occasion let us suppose him speaking thus to him- 
self : — " There lies the man with whom I contended ; 
he is gone and I must follow him ; how poor is the 
the advantage which I now enjoy! where are the fruits 
of all our contests ? how many mistakes may there have 
been betwixt us ? had not he his virtues and good quali- 
ties as well as I ? When we shall both appear before 
the judgment seat of God, shall I be found innocent 
and free of blame for all the enmity I have borne to 
him ?" Should not the force of such sentiments 
tend to correct the inveteracy of prejudice, the heat 
of anger, and the fierceness of resentment ? How un- 
natural is it for animosities so to possess our hearts, 
that nothing but the cold hand of death can extinguish 
them. When a few suns more have rolled over our 
heads, friends and foes shall have all retreated together* 
Let us then not harass one another, and fill the valley 
of our pilgrimage with the baneful monuments of our 
contentions, but, on the contrary, endeavour to cheer 
the road by natural kindness, forbearance and forgive- 
ness. 



Many of the persecutors of the Church of Christ 
have come to an untimely end. Thus Nero and Severus 
killed themselves; Domitian, Trajan Maximinius, Decius, 
Gallus, Valerian, Dioclesian, and Julian the Apostate, 
were killed by others. God's church has always been 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 393 

very dear to him, and the judgments he has shown 
those who persecute it, not only prove his just indigna- 
tion against those who attempt to destroy it, but are so 
many testimonies of special love to his people, and 
should encourage them. 



The Church hath sometimes been brought to so low 
and obscure a point, that if you can follow her in his- 
tory, it is by the track of her blood, and if you would 
see her, it is by the light of those fires ia which her 
martyrs have been burnt ; yet hath she still come 
through, and survived all that wrath, and still shall, 
till she be made perfectly triumphant. 



What is a Church? Let truth and reason speak— 
They would reply — "The faithful, pure, and meek 
From Christian folds, the one collected race 
Of all professions, and in every place." 



The enemies of God, of morality, of human nature? 
occupy one's thoughts and one's conversation almost 
too much ; and while we exhaust upon them the indig- 
nation which their crimes excite, we should never for- 
get that we partake with them of the same corrupt 
nature; and that only religion and the restraining 
grace of God preserve us from the same enormities. 



In visiting condemned prisoners, Rowland Hill used 
to exhibit much feeling, and contrast his own situa- 
tion : " Condemned to die !" he would ejaculate in a 
solemn whisper — "0, my God, what a mercy to be 
kept from sin by the restraining grace of thy Holy 
Spirit!" 



394 GLEANINGS FROM 

Sincerity is an essential attribute of personal re- 
ligion ; it consists in acting from good motives and 
with uniform integrity in our commerce with the world ; 
it is produced by faith in Christ, supported by Divine 
love and filial fear, and generally distinguished by an 
amiable self-diffidence and a firm reliance on the free 
grace of God; all other virtues derive not only their lus- 
tre, but their very existence, from this excellent princi- 
ple ; the consciousness of godly sincerity is the grand 
support of true courage, and will bestow more substantial 
and durable happiness in trouble than anything else 
within the whole world. All who profess the gospel, 
and have not sincerity, are as clouds without water, 
trees without fruit, or lamps without oil ; but those who 
love God with undivided hearts participate a constant 
succession of pleasures in his approbation and in their 
own minds. 



Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, 
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not loith fleshly 
wisdom^ hut hy the grace of God, ice have had our con- 
versation in the world. 2 CoR. i. 12. 



Worldly joy generally ends in sorrow, but godly 
sorrow ends in joy, and as it sometimes rains when 
the sun shines, so there is frequently joy in the saint's 
heart when there are tears in his eyes. 

For a small moment have I forsaken thee ; but with 
great mercies will I gather thee. ISAIAH liv. 7. 

He whose eye no sleep can seal, 
He whose arm can help reveal, 
He whose word is faithful yet, 
Neither can nor will forget. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 395 

The Lord sometimes feeds his people with hunger, 
and makes them spiritually fat with want and distress. 

/ know both how to be abased, and I know how to 
abound : everywhere and in all things I am instructed 
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to 
suffer need. Phil. iv. 12. 



Who best 
Can suffer, best can do ; best reign, who first 
Well hath obeyed. 



Dark even at noon-tide is our mortal sphere, 

But let us hope — to doubt is to rebel ; 

Let us exult in hope — that all shall yet be well. 



Happy the man who sees a God employed 
In all the good and ill that chequer life ! 
Resolving all events, with their effects 
And manifold results into the will 
And arbitration wise of the Supreme. 



Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matt. vi. 34. 

We may not live to be troubled by the evil we fear. 
He who knows our state, our infirmities, and our trou- 
bles, may graciously take us to himself before the evil 
may reach us. 



God bids the sun ascend the skies, 
And heaven and earth rejoice ; 

He speaks, the rushing whirlwind fiies, 
Obedient to his voice. 

Through the dull eve, the blithesome morn, 

He leads the changing seasons on ; 



396 GLEANINGS FKOM 

And still those smiling seasons tell, 
That He who rules them, rules them well. 

Thus over life's wide darkling plain, 

Unheeded as we roam, 
Through many a path of joy and pain 

He leads his children home. 
And though sometimes in prospect viewed. 
The winding may seem dark and rude : 
Ah ! who the backward scene hath scanned. 
Nor blessed his Father's guiding hand ! 



It is criminal to be kept by the fear of man from 
doing anything which God commands, or that we see 
is our duty ; he that is restrained in this manner, acts 
very inconsistently ; he should do his duty, trust him- 
self in God's hands, and fear not what man can do unto 
him. 



The more we fear God, the less shall we fear man. 



It is the best and longest lesson, to learn how to 
die, and of surest use, which if we do not avail our- 
s-elves of, it were better not to have lived. Oh vain 
studies of men — how to walk through Eome*s streets all 
day in the shade ; how to square circles ; how to cor- 
rect mis-written copies, to fetch up old words from for- 
getfulness, and a thousand other like points of idle 
skill ; whilst the main care of life and death is neglec- 
ted I 



While endeavouring to follow the good example of 
Christians, be very careful to avoid their falls and in- 
firmities. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 397 

Let the afflicted remember that the darkest moment 
in the whole JVucthemeron, is just before the break of 
day. 



There is a land of pure delight, 
Where saints immortal reign ; 

Infinite day excludes the night, 
And pleasures banish pain. 

There everlasting spring abides. 

And never- withering flowers ; 
Death, like a narrow sea, divides 

This heavenly land from our's. 

Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood 

Stand drest in living green ; 
So to the Jews old Canaan stood. 

While Jordan roll'd between. 

! could we make our doubts remove. 
Those gloomy doubts that rise ; 

And see the Canaan that we love. 
With unbeclouded eyes ! 

Could we but climb where Moses stood, 

And view the landscape o'er ; 
Not Jordan's stream nor death's cold flood, 

Should fright us from the shore. 



Leighton. — Travelling with a friend in the vicinity 
of Dumblane, he was suddenly arrested by a cry of 
distress. On looking towards the quarter from which it 
came, he saw, at some little distance, a man who im- 
plored his assistance, and pointed to another man who 
was stretched on the ground, apparently in thf^ last 

34 



398 GLEANINGS FROM 

agonies. Leighton instantly quitted his carriage and 
advanced to the spot, Tvhen the wretch who seemed at 
the point of death, but was only feigning, started up 
from the ground, and joined in robbing the compas- 
sionate bishop. Having accomplished their nefarious 
project, they allowed him to return to his carriage. 
But hardly had he set off again, when the man he had 
first encountered came running after him, with the air 
and voice of distraction, to return to his assistance, as 
his comrade was indeed expiring. The travellers were 
naturally suspicious of some new villany ; but observing 
the genuine terror imprinted on the features of the sup- 
pliant, they complied with his request, and on reach- 
ing the spot, found the other footpad actually dead — a 
monument of the righteous judgment of Heaven. 



The Christian parent ought to be a living exempli- 
fication of Christianity. His house, his habit, his 
family, his associates, his pursuits, his recreations, 
ought all to be so regulated, as to evince that religion 
is, indeed, the parent of order, the inspirer of good 
sense, the well-spring of good humour, the teacher of 
good manners, and the perennial source of happiness 
and peace. 



Hannah More. — During a time of public distress, 
a friend of mine called on one poor woman who was 
nearly famished, and asked her how she bore up. 
" Madam," said she, "when I feel very faint I go up 
and pray two or three times a-day, and I come down 
so refreshed.'" How many fare sumptuously every day, 
and never pray at all ! 

In one of the Newcastle colleries, thirty-five men and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 899 

forty-one boys died by suffocation, or were starved to 
death. One of the boys was found dead with a bible 
by his side, and a tin box such as colliers use ; within 
the lid he had contrived to engrave with the point of a nail 
this last message to his parent and brother : " Fret not, 
my dear mother, for we are singing the praises of God 
while we have time. Mother, follow God more than I 
did. Joseph, think of God, and be kind to poor 
mother." 



lam persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, 
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other crea- 
ture, shall he able to separate us from the love of God, 
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. viii. 38, 39. 



Every day is a little life, and our whole life is but a 
day repeated ; whence it is that old Jacob numbered 
his life by days ; and Moses desires to be taught this 
holy arithmetic, to number not his years but his days. 
Those, therefore, that dare lose a day, are dangerously 
prodigal ; those that dare misspend it, desperate. 



The grass withereth, the flower fadeth : because the 
Spirit of the Lord hloweth upon it: surely the people is 
grass. Isaiah xl. 7. 

Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no 
good. 

Those who defer their gifts till their death-bed, do 
as good as say, " Lord, I will give thee something 
when I can keep it no longer." 



400 GLEANINGS FROM 

Be not proud of thy riches, but afraid of them, lest 
they be as silver bars to cross thy way to heaven. 



Give freely what thou giv'st ; harsh chidings spare, 
Nor blemish thy good deeds with words severe ; 
Thy love's defective, if to deeds confined ; 
A word — a look — may, with the ingenuous mind. 
Outweigh the gift ; prevent the heartfelt dread 
Of modest want, when forced to ask for bread. 



It seems to be a prevalent error to reduce all religion 
into benevolence, and all benevolence into alms-giving. 
The wide and comprehensive idea of Christian charity 
is compressed into the slender compass of a little pe- 
cuniary relief. An aged woman of the world, once 
lamenting over the depression of her husband's spirits 
as he sat weeping near her, comforted herself " that 
he would be better next week, because he had ordered a 
stated sum for the benefit of the poor of the parish !!" 



Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor^ and 
though I give my hody to he burned, and have not 
charity, it profiteth me nothing. 1 CoR. xiii. 3. 

If we look around and mark the excesses of luxury, 
the costly diversions, and the intemperate dissipation 
in which numbers of professing Christians indulge them- 
selves, can any stretch of candour, can even that tender 
sentiment by which we are enjoined "to hope" and 
to "believe all things," enable us to hope and believe 
that such are actuated by a spirit of Christian benev- 
olence, merely because we see them perform some casual 
acts of charity, which the spirit of the world can con- 
trive to make extremely compatible with a voluptuous 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 401 

life; and the cost of which, after all, bears but little 
proportion to that of any one vice, or even vanity ! 

Luxury ! thou curst by heaven's decree, 
How ill exchanged are charities for thee ! 
How do thy potions, with insidious joy, 
Diffuse their pleasures only to destroy ! 



There is a great danger lest a constant attention to 
so right a practice as an invariable economy should 
incline the heart to a love of money. One great mean 
of counteracting this natural propensity would be to 
adopt the Christian habit of devoting those retrenched 
expenses to some good purpose ; and then economy, 
instead of narrowing the heart, would enlarge it by 
inducing a constant association of benevolence with 
frugality. 

There is a small chance of truth at the goal, where 
there is not a child-like humility at the starting-post. 

Hall. — It is no small commendation to manage a 
little well. He is a good wagoner that can turn in a 
little room. To live well in abundance, is the praise 
of the estate, not of the person. I will study more 
how to give a good account of my little, than how to 
make it more. 



Those fruits that run up very much into leaves and 
stalks, sometimes die at the root : so some men's reli- 
gion runs up all into talk and profession. 

One of the poor Hottentots who came over with 

Kitchener, said, "Me tink all English real Christians 

before me came; me 'fraid now" — a severe rebuke 
(34^) 



402 GLEANINGS FROM 

from such a quarter, tliat should teach us the great 
importance of exhibiting in our example the force of 
the precepts we inculcate upon others. 



Pleasure which cannot be obtained but by unrea- 
sonable or unsuitable expense, must always end in pain ; 
and pleasure which must be enjoyed at the expense of 
another's pain, can never be such as a worthy mind 
can delight in. 

Th' exploit of strength, dexterity, or speed, 
To him nor vanity nor joy could bring. 
His heart from cruel sport estranged, would bleed 
To work the woe of any living thing. 



In weighing any commodity, its weight is determined 
by some generally allowed standard ; and if the com- 
modity be heavier or lighter than the standard weight, 
we add to, or take from it ; but we n ever break or clip or 
reduce the weight to suit the thing we are weighing ; be- 
cause the common consent of mankind has agreed that 
the one shall be considered as the standard to ascertain 
the value of the other. But in weighing our principles 
by the standard of the gospel we do just the reverse. 
Instead of our bringing our opinions and actions to the 
balance of the sanctuary, to determine and rectify 
their comparative deJBciencies, we lower and reduce 
their standard till we have accommodated them to our 
own purposes ; so that instead of trying others and 
ourselves by God's unerring rule, we try the truth of 
God's rule by its conformity or nonconformity to our 
depraved notions and corrupt, practices. 

Leighton. — Food and Raiment. — Our perverse, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 403 

crooked hearts turn all we use into disorder. Those 
two necessities of our life, food and raiment, how few 
know the right measure and bounds of them ! Unless 
poverty be our carver, and cut us short, who, almost, 
is there that is not bent to something excessive ! Far 
more are indebted to the lowliness of their estate, than 
to the lowliness of their mind, for sobriety in these things ; 
and yet, some will not be so bounded neither, but will 
profusely lavish out upon trifles, to the sensible preju- 
dice of their estate. To a sincere and humble Chris- 
tian, very little needs be said. A tender conscience 
and a heart purified from vanity and weaned from the 
world will be sure to regulate these and other things, 
and will be wary, first, of lightness and fantastic garb 
in apparel, which is the very bush or sign hanging out, 
that tells a vain mind lodges within ; and, second, of 
excessive costliness, which both argues and feeds the 
pride of the heart, and defrauds, if not others of their 
duties, yet the poor of thy charity, which, in God's 
sight, is a due debt too. Far more comfort shalt thou 
have on thy death-bed to remember that such a time, 
instead of putting lace on my own clothes, I helped a 
naked back to clothing, I abated somewhat of my former 
superfluities to supply the poor's necessities — far sweeter 
will this be, than to remember, that I could needlessly 
cast away many pounds to serve my pride, rather than 
give a penny to relieve the poor. 

The trimming of the vain world would clothe the 
naked. 



" One night more," said a pious and very poor man,* 
when sufi'ering grievously from a mortification of the 
leg, "one night more, and I shall be beyond the 

* See Memoir of Thomas Hogg. 



404 GLEANINGS FROM 

clouds." " I. am afraid you are very ill," said his kind 
friend at another time, " but I trust you have no fears 
respecting your future happiness, should it please God 
to summon you to appear before him?" He opened 
his eyes and distinctly said : — 

" Fed by his hand, supported by his care, 

I scarce can douht : why then should I despair?" 

It was remarked to be an inconceivable blessing to 
have the Son of God for our friend ! "It is, it is," 
said he, in a tone and manner that indicated that he 
was accustomed to look to God through that Divine 
Mediator, and that he was practically acquainted with 
the truth of that Scriptural declaration, To them that 
believe, Christ is precious. 

And along that vale of tears 
Which his humble footsteps trod, 
Still a shining path appears, 
Where the mourner walk'd with God, 

Till his Master from above. 
When the promised hour was come, 
Sent the chariot of his love 
To convey the wanderer home. 

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in 
the kingdom of their Father. Matt. xiii. 43. 

It is a delightful and animating reflection to the sin- 
cere Christian, that^every occurrence of his life is under 
the immediate notice and subject to the control of his 
heavenly Father. He contemplates him as an ever- 
present and almighty friend, whom no difficulties can 
baffle« nor unforeseen accidents surprise, whose counsel 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 405 

is proffered to guide him safely through all the intri- 
cate and perplexing mazes of life, to sanctify his afflic- 
tions, to moderate his joy in prosperity, and so to con- 
trol the course of his personal concerns, as that " all 
things shall work together for his good." 

Hall. — I have learnt more of God and myself in 
one week's affliction than all my whole life's prosperity 
had taught me before. 



Thou sTialt rise wp hefore the hoary head^ and honour 
the face of the old man^ and fear thy Cfod. Levit. 
xix. 32. 

The experience and gravity, the judgment and wis- 
dom, frequently found in old age, demand vener- 
ation ; and even when these are in some measure want- 
ing, the infirmities and inquietudes of that state, call 
upon people of younger years to abound in compassion 
towards them. 



Serle. — " To this day, I cannot meet an aged per- 
son, especially if he be infirm, without feeling some 
kind emotions of heart towards him ; and these are al- 
ways heightened by an anxious pity, if it appear that 
he hath not yet felt any true concern for himself. All 
this may be' mere nature ; but, however, I do not wish 
to suppress it." 

An aged Christian, in giving general counsel to her 
descendants, warned them of the sorrow she had ex- 
perienced from the reading of unprofitable books in 
her early life, saying, that although she had for many 
years relinquished the vain amusement, she still con- 
tinued to witness the evil consequences of it, her mind 



406 GLEANINGS FROM 

being often filled with ideas and images of things she 
■wished she had never entertained. 



Oxenstiern, Chancellor of Sweden, was a person of 
the first quality and ability in his country; being vis- 
ited in his retreat from business, by the English am- 
bassador (Whitlocke), in the conclusion of their dis- 
course, he said to the ambassador: "I have seen much 
of this world, but I never knew how to live till now ; 
all the comfort I have, and what is more than the whole 
world can give, is feeling the good Spirit in my heart, 
and reading in this good book, the Bible. You are 
now in the prime of your age and vigour, and in great 
favour and business ; but all this may leave you, and 
you may one day better understand and relish what I 
say to you, and then you will find that there is more 
wisdom, truth, comfort, and pleasure in retiring and 
turning your heart from the world to the good Spirit 
of God and in reading the Bible, than in all the courts 
and the favours of princes." 



Abstai?i from all appearance of evil. 1 Thess. v. 22. 

what a mercy is it when the creature is helped 
rightly and timely to consider the great advantage it 
will be to him when the case seems doubtful^ to incline 
to the safest side of abstaining, and not only then, but 
to abridge himself in the extent of his liberty, not com- 
ing near to the utmost bounds of what is lawful ! 



Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; 
for our vines have tender grapes. Cant. ii. 15. 

If Jesus is to be adorned and followed, self must be 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 407 

dethroned and trampled under foot. The terms of his 
discipleship arCj If any man will come after me, let Mm 
deny himself. Matt. xvi. 24. 



The greatest evil we can fear, 
Is to possess our portion here. 



If our affections and feelings are moved in social 
exercises, and are cold and insensible when we are 
alone with God, we have great reason to suspect our 
state. 



A natural will ploughed up is the best soil for pro- 
ducing luxuriant crops. 



Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy ; 
break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the 
Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 
HOSEA X. 12. 



Not more necessary are constant supplies of water 
to the growth of vegetation in the sultry regions of 
the East, than the influences of Divine truth to the exis- 
tence of human happiness. If a tree planted by the 
margin of a refreshing river is proof against the heat 
of the sun, or the unfavourableness of the seasons, he 
also who, into a well prepared heart, receives contin- 
ual infusions of religious wisdom, is flourishing and 
happy amidst all the inconveniencies of life. 

And he shall he like a. tree planted by the rivers of 
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf 
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall 
prosper. PSALM i. 3. 



408 GLEANINGS FROM 

However frequently thou art injured, if real peni- 
tence and contrition follow the offence, thou art always 
bound to forgive. 

Rowland Hill. — In once addressing the people at 
Wotton, he raised himself to his full stature and ex- 
claimed — " Because I am in earnest, men call me an' 
enthusiast ; but I am not. When I first came into this 
part of the country, I was walking on yonder hill; I 
saw a gravel pit fall in and bury three human beings 
alive. I lifted up my voice for help, so loud, that I 
was heard in the town below, at a distance of a mile ; 
help came, and rescued two of the sufferers. No one 
called me an enthusiast then ; and when I see eternal 
destruction ready to fall upon poor sinners, and about 
to entomb them irrecoverably in an eternal mass of 
woe, and call aloud on them to escape, shall I be called 
an enthusiast now? No, sinner, I am not an enthusiast 
in so doing; I call on thee aloud to fly for refuge, 
to the hope set before thee in the gospel of Christ 
Jesus." 



We read in our books of a delicate Athenian being 
entertained by one much given to hospitality. Find- 
ing anon that another was received with like courtesy, 
and then a third, he grew very angry. " I thought," 
said he, "I had found a, friend's house, but I am fallen 
into an inn, to entertain all comers, rather than a lodg- 
ing for some private and especial friends." On this 
story, the admirable Hales thus expresses himself: 
"Let it not offend any that I have made Christianity 
rather an inn, to receive all, than a private house to 
receive some few; for so doth precept and example 
teach us to extend our good offices, not to this man or 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 409 

to that man, but to mankind : like the sun which riseth 
not on this or that nation, but on all the world. Julian 
observes of the fig-tree, that above all trees it is most 
capable of grafts and scions of other kinds, so far as 
that all variety will be brought to take nourishment 
from one stock. Beloved, a Christian must be like 
unto Julian's fig-tree, so universally compassionate, 
that so all sorts of grafts, by a kind of Christian 
inoculation, may be brought to draw life and nourish- 
ment from his root. 



Two religious parties unacquainted with each other's 
language, happened to meet on the continent of Europe 
without an interpreter, and inclining to converse, hit 
upon this expedient. One of the company opened a 
Bible in his own language, and pointing to a text, was 
answered by reference to another, and replies being 
made in like manner, a conference of considerable 
length was carried on with lively sensation, and much 
to the satisfaction of the company. The remembrance 
of this singular occurrence has suggested the idea that 
this would be a better way of inquiring into and in- 
vestigating each other's religious opinions than any 
other. For as the professors of Christianity all lay 
claim to Scripture authority for their respective tenets, 
a simple reference to the texts on which they depend, 
would leave the combatants to judge of their suitable- 
ness, unobscured by contradictory comments, or the 
irritations of controversy. 

HoRNE. — The note of the cuckoo, though uniform, 

always gives pleasure, because we feel that summer is 

coming ; but this pleasure is mixed with melancholy, 

because we reflect that it will so soon be going again. 
o5 



410 GLEANINGS FROM 

This is the con.^ideration wliicli embitters all sublunary 
eBJ03^ments. Let the delight of my heart, then, be in 
thee, Lord and Creator of all things, with whom is 
no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 



Be pitiful, he courteous. — The roots of plants are 
hidden under ground, so that themselves are not seen, 
but they appear in their branches, and flowers and 
fruits, which argue there is a root and life in them ; 
thus the graces of the Spirit planted in the soul, though 
themselves invisible, yet discover their being and life 
in the tract of a Christian's life, his words, and actions, 
and the frame of his carriage. 



What manner of communications are these, that ye 
have one to another as ye walk and are sadf * * * 
Did not our heart burn luithin us, while he talked with 
us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scrip- 
tures f Luke xxiv. 17. 32. 

How precious is that heart-glowing feeling often pro- 
duced by religious intercourse one with another, and 
pious contemplation on heavenly things ! When the 
risen Saviour joined himself to the two disciples on 
their journey to Emmaus, they were conversing on 
scenes of deep interest, scenes which had astonished 
them, and filled their hearts with sorrow. But the 
presence of their Lord, though unknown to them at 
the time, caused their hearts to burn within them, while 
he talked with them by the way, and while he ex- 
pounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things 
concerning himself. 

Are there not moments in our lives, when we ex- 
perience feelings similar to those of the two disciples, 
moments when cur hearts are sorrowful, and our coun- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 411 

tenances sad? But in seasons like these, it is good and 
salutary to abide in patience, and give the mind to holy 
contemplation, in a fervent breathing of soul to the 
Father of mercies, that he may be pleased to help our 
infirmities. In such moments the blessed Saviour, of 
whom it is said, "In all their afflictions he was af- 
flicted," joins himself to us, cheers our drooping spirits, 
and speaks to the heart in accents full of instruction, 
grace, and love. The pilgrim, thus refreshed, goes on 
his way rejoicing ; his faith strengthened and his heart 
burning within him, he says to his celestial visitant, as 
the disciples did. Abide with us. And he ivent in to 
tarry with them. 

When thus favoured with precious visitations of a 
Saviour's love, how important it is to lend an attentive 
ear and an obedient heart to the whispers of the Shep- 
herd's voice, which is gentle, powerful and divine. How 
important to promote that communion with God in spirit, 
which calms the mind in trouble, strengthens the char- 
acter of the Christian, and enables him to perform all 
those relative duties required of him, both in his habits 
of comparative solitude, and in his more active course 
in contact with the world. When the spirit is seasoned 
with grace, good resolutions grow stronger, and evil 
passions weaker ; those things are made plain which 
before appeared obscure ; doubts and fears are chased 
away by faith and hope ; and spiritual slothfulness 
gives place to holy zeal and perfect love. 



The true believer is a new creature. He is surrounded 
by a holy atmosphere, in which the trifler cannot live. 
As his motives are elevated, so his conversation is pure. 
The giddy and the vain avoid his society, not because he 



412 GLEANINGS FROM 

is repulsive in manner, but because his views and feel- 
ings are so spiritual and heavenly. He is ridiculed as 
the saint, and taxed with pride and self-conceit. But 
his heart is known unto God, with whom he holds sweet 
converse in the midst of a naughty world. Such is the 
Christian. His character is little understood by the 
thoughtless multitude, whose time is occupied and whose 
affections are absorbed in the trifles of the day ; but 
ere long he shall shine as the sun, in the kingdom of 
his Father. 



On hearing the word " Saint" scornfully applied — 

A Saint ! Oh would that I could claim 
The privileged, the honoured name, 
And confidently take my stand, 
Though lowest in the saintly band ! 

Would though it were in scorn applied, 
That term the test of truth could bide ! 
Like kingly salutations given 
In mockery to the King of Heaven. 

A Saint ! And what imports the name 
Thus bandied in derision's game? 
" Holy, and separate from sin ; 
To good, nay e'en to God akin." 

Is such the meaning of a name, 

From v/hich a Christian shrinks with shame ? 

Yes, dazzled with the glorious sight. 

He owns his crown is all too bright, 

And ill might son of Adam dare 
Alone such honour's weight to bear; 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 413 

But fearlessly he takes the load, 
United to the Son of God. 

A Saint 1 Oh give me but some sign, 
Some seal to prove the title mine, 
And warmer thanks thou shalt command, 
Than bringing kingdoms in thy hand. 

Oh ! for an interest in thy name. 

When hell shall ope its jaws of flame. 

And scorners in their doom be hurled. 

While scorned Saints "shall judge the world!" 

How shall the name of Saint be prized, 
Tho' now neglected and despised. 
When truth shall witness to the word. 
That none but " Saints shall see the Lord !" 



The soul of the believer must be habituated to 
action ; it must maintain a steady energy towards the 
sovereign object of its desire ; no false rest must be 
taken up — it must always be moving forwards in that 
holy way which leads to God, and happiness, and 
heaven. Then, indeed, the work of religion will 
prosper in our experience. Although the first blaze 
of fervour, which often distinguishes the new convert, 
may subside into a calm, the pure affection of love to 
God will be settled in our souls — it will imbue and 
characterize our new nature with a perpetual increase 
of true brightness — it will burn for ever ! 



We read that in certain climates of the world, the 
gales that spring from the land, carry a refreshing 
smell out to sea; and assure the watchful pilot that he 
is approaching to a desirable and fruitful coast, when 



35* 



414 GLEANINGS FROM 

as yet he cannot discern it with his eyes. And, to 
take up the comparison of life to a voyage, in like 
manner it fares with those who have steadily and reli- 
giously pursued the course which Providence has 
pointed out to them. We shall sometimes find by their 
conversation towards the end of their days, that they 
are filled with peace, and hope, and joy ; which like 
those refreshing gales and reviving odours to the sea- 
men, are breathed forth from Paradise upon their 
souls ; and give them to understand with certainty, 
that God is brinn^ino; them unto their desired haven. 



The merchant, who towards spicy regions sails, 
Smells their perfume far ofi", in adverse gales ; 
With blasts which thus against the faithful blow, 
Fresh odorous breathings of God's goodness flow. 



Thou, as a gallant bark from Albion's coast, 
(The storms all weathered and the ocean cross'd) 
Shoots into port at some well-havened isle, 
Where spices breathe, and brighter seasons smile, 
There sits quiescent on the floods, that show 
Her beauteous form reflected here below, 
While airs impregnated with incense play 
Around her, fanning light her streamers gay ; 
So thou with sails how swift ! hast reached the shore, 
" Where tempests never beat nor billows roar." 



The Christian owes and pays a general charity and 
good-will to all ; but peculiar and intimate friendships 
he cannot have, except with such as come within the 
compass of that fraternal love, which, after a special 
manner, flows from God, and returns to Ilim, and abides 
in Him, and shall remain unto eternity. 



I 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 415 

When the temple of Solomon was to be erected, all 
the materials were, in the first instance, hewn into 
shape, and polished for their uses ; and when afterwards 
they had been put together, without a sound in the 
house of any tool of iron, beautiful was the harmony 
which resulted from the fitness. So would it be with 
Christians, were they fully subject to that Divine power 
which would level their pride, abate their prejudice, 
and polish down their roughness. Their junction with 
him, on whom depends the security of the whole build- 
ing, and their union with each other, would be more 
complete than it is at present. The holy temple would 
arise and spread in its true beauty and harmony ; and 
the inextinguishable flame of love would diffuse a gen- 
erous glow of warmth and brightness through the 
whole sacred edifice. 



''No hammer fell, no ponderous axes rung; 
Like some tall palm the mystic fabric sprung, is 
Majestic silence !' 



In a bed of tulips or a knot of pinks, we perceive 
there are no two turned or tinctured alike ; so it is with 
respect to the difi'erences among real Christians. There 
are modes in religion, which admit of variation with- 
out prejudice to sound faith, or real holiness ; just as 
the drapery in these flowers may be found, after a great 
variety of patterns, without blemishing their beauty or 
altering their nature. Be it so then, that in some points 
of inconsiderable consequence, several of our brethren 
dissent, yet let us all live amicably and sociably to- 
gether, for we harmonize in principles, though we diff'er 
in punctilios. If any strife subsists, let it be to follow 



416 GLEANINGS PROM 

our Divine Master more closely in humility of heart 
and unblameableness of life ; let it be to serve each 
other most readily in all the kind offices of cordial friend- 
ship. Thus shall we be united, though distinguished ; 
united in the same grand fundamentals, though distin- 
guished by some small circumstantials ; united in one 
important band of brotherly love, by Christian candour, 
though distinguished by some slighter peculiarities of 
sentiment, or different modes of worship. 



Paett Spirit. — Party spirit envenoms and con- 
tracts many hearts, separates many families, divides 
ma,ny societies, undermines real religion, incapacitates 
for sweet communion with God, and encourages self- 
confidence, and other evil passions. 

If thy servant be faulty, strive rather to convince 
him of his error than discover thy passion ; and when 
he is sensible, forgive him. 

Remember he is thy fellow-creature ; and that God's 
goodness, not thy merit, has made the difference be- 
tween thee and him. 

If thou wouldest be obeyed, being a father ; being a 
Bon, be obedient. 



There is a troublesome humour some men have, that 
if they may not lead, they will not follow; but had 
rather a thing were never done, than not done their 
own way, though otherwise very desirable. This comes 
of an over-fulness of ourselves, and shows we are more 
concerned for praise, than the success of what we think 
a good thing. 



let us the secret joy partake. 

To follow virtue e'en for virtue's sake. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 417 

God promiseth mercy unto penitent sinners ; but he 
doth not promise them they shall have so much time 
as to-morrow for their repentance. 

The day approacheth, my soul, 

The great decisive day, 
Which from the verge of mortal life 

Shall bear thee far away ! 



A man under some serious impression from the near 
prospect of death, being assured by his medical atten- 
dant that he would recover, relaxed into his usual evil 
course. And afterwards when spending an evening 
with an idle card party, fell down speechless ; and be- 
fore the night closed, ceased to be numbered with the 
living. 

Green as the bay-tree, ever green, 

With its new foliage on. 
The gay, the thoughtless, I have seen ; 

I passed, and they were gone. 

Read, ye that run, the awful truth, 
With which I charge my page ; 

A worm is in the bud of youth. 
And at the root of age. 



Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For 
what is your life ? it is even a vapour, that appeareth 
for a little time, and then vanisheth away," James 
iv. 14. 



In the midst of life we are in death.— ^a, is the in- 
terjection of laughter. Ah, is an interjection of sor- 



418 GLEANINGS FROM 

row ; the difference betwixt them is very small, con- 
sisting only in the transposition of what is no sub- 
stantial letter, but a bare aspiration. How quickly ! in 
one minute, in the very turning of a breath, is our 
mirth changed into mourning. — Thus it was with up- 
wards of seventy (mostly females) who were burned to 
death in the sudden conflagration of the theatre at 
Richmond in Virginia. "Ah!" said the narrator of 
the dreadful catastrophe, " how little thought the fair 
one whose curls were adjusted, whose garments, costly 
and elegant, were disposed so as to produce on the 
spectator the most impressive effect, that those curls 
were that same night to be crisped with the devouring 
flame, and those garments to be denied the service of 
a winding sheet!" 



In the occurrences of time the same event often hap- 
peneth unto the righteous and the wicked. The roof 
may fall in, or the floor may give way, while men are 
engaged in the solemn worship of their Maker; but what 
has that man to fear in the prospect of eternity, who is 
devoting himself to the honour and service of God ? he 
is everywhere, and ever safe, safe in the most exten- 
sive sense of the term: yea. Though the heavens pass 
away with a great noise, and the elements melt with 
fervent heat, though the earth also and the works that 
are therein he burned up, he is still safe. 



It will be no easy task to persuade the professors 
of religion who love the stage, that it has produced a 
baneful effect upon them; for apostacy from the 
purity and simplicity of the Gospel is a disease, which, 
while it strikes every eye besides, is concealed from 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 419 

the miserable patient himself. If a person professing 
to be regulated in his spirit and conduct by the pure 
morality of the Gospel, can. be gratified with amuse- 
ments which are pursued with avidity by the vicious 
and the vain, in exact proportion as he derives plea- 
sure from those amusements, he must be departing 
from the spirit of Christianity; "the salt, has lost its 
savour," the peculiar features of Christianity will 
gradually soften till they disappear. 

Can laughter feed th' immortal mind ? 
Were spirits of celestial kind 
Made for a jest — to sport and play, 
To wear out time, and waste the day 



If the stage gave lessons of virtue, vicious men would 
abhor it. 



A modern writer observes — " I am as sensible as 
any man of the wonderful talents of that poet, Shak- 
speare ! For force of language — for exhaustless inven- 
tion — for an insight into human nature — for a power 
to touch and rend the heart, he is unequalled, and 
stands amongst dramatists as a diamond among pearls; 
but while I honour his intellectual capacities, I must 
deeply lament their miserable abuse. So far from 
having a moral end before him, he has frequently its 
opposite, and seems indifferent to moral results. His 
licentious witticisms, his corrupt allusions, many times 
repeated, render many parts of his works, in a moral 
light, the objects of indignation and disgust. 



Religion has found some of her worst enemies iri 
those who have been the most distinguished and ad- 
mired for their genius and talents. 



420 GLEANINGS FROM 

A frequent, and even respectful, mention of religion 
may be made by those who are not religious. 



Though the Christian, in one sense, must be in the 
world ; and put his best hand to its business and affairs, 
according to his lot from God's providence ; yet in 
another sense, he must come out from the world, and 
be separate, lest his soul be hindered and defiled. 
He cannot enter into the spirit of the world, without 
injury and loss ; and it is the spirit, not the lawful 
business of the world, which contains the evil. In 
his calling and concerns, a believer is to glorify God ; 
and he is enabled to do this, first by the prayer 
of faith over them, and then hj the life of faith in 
them. 



The only way to eternal life is through the all- 
suflSicient atonement of a dying Saviour, and the only 
evidence of our interest in his blood, a heart sancti- 
fied by his Spirit, and a life dedicated to his glory 



If a man live many years, and rejoice in them all: 
yet let him remember the days of darkness: for they 
shall he many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, 
young man in thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine 
heart, and in the sight of thine eyes : but know thou 
that for all these things God will bring thee into judg- 
ment. EccLES. xi. 8, 9. 



When the Saviour was born into the world, there was 
no room for him in the inn. Just so it is with our de- 
praved hearts. Yet wonderful condescension ! Jesus 
stands at the door and knocks, saying, If any man 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 42l 

hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, 
and sup with him and he with me. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom ; a 
good understanding have all they that do his command- 
ments. Psalm cxi. 19. 



Mind not the difficulties of thy march ; great and 
good things -were never enterprized and accomplished 
without difficulty; which does but render their enjoy- 
ment more pleasant and glorious. For though there 
be no affliction that is not grievous for the present, yet 
what says the man of God ? " It works a far more ex- 
ceeding weight of glory in the end." This has been 
both the faith and the experience of those that in all 
ages have trusted in God, who have not fainted by the 
way ; but, enduring have obtained an eternal diadem. 



My home, henceforth, is in the skies, 
Earth, seas, and sun adieu ! 

All heaven unfolded to my eyes, 
I have no sight for you. 

So speaks the Christian, firm possessed 

Of Faith's supporting rod. 
Then breathes his soul into its rest, 

The bosom of his God. 



Thou shalt not talce the name of the Lord thy Crod 
in vain : for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that 
taJceth his name in vain, Deut. v. 11. 



Anecdote op Windham. — Nothing so highly of- 
fended him as any careless or irreverent use of the 
name of the Creator. " I remember/' says his biog- 
36 



422 GLEANINGS FROM 

rapher, " that on reading a letter addressed to him, 
in which the words 'my God!' had been made use of 
on a light occasion, he hastily snatched a pen, and be- 
fore he could finish the letter, blotted out the mis- 
placed exclamation." 



It is said that Sir Isaac Newton, and Dr. Clarke, 
never mentioned the name of God without a solemn 
pause. 



Could we perceive him, God he could not be ; 
A God alone can comprehend a God. 



God's hand unseen sustains the poles, 

On which the huge creation rolls ; 

The starry arch proclaims his power, 

His pencil glows in every flower ; 

In thousand shapes and colours rise 

His painted wonders to our eyes, 

While beasts and birds with labouring throats 

Teach us a God in thousand notes ; 

The meanest pin in nature's frame 

Marks out some letters of his name; 

Where sense can reach or fancy rove, 

From hill to hill, from grove to grove, 

Across the waves, around the sky, 

There's not a spot, or deep, or high, 

Where the Creator has not trod. 

And left the footstep of a God. 



They that deny themselves for Christ, shall enjoy 
themselves in Christ. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 423 

Christ is compared to a great rock in a weary land. 
(Isaiah xxxii. 2.) He bore the heat that we might sit 
in the shade. 



The " poor in spirit" are those who desire no earthly 
distinction, covet no earthly riches, are thankful for 
what they have, and think it more than they deserve. 



Leighton.— The more the children of God walk 
like their Father, and their home, the more unlike 
must they, of necessity, become to the world about 
them, and therefore become the very mark of all their 
enmities and malice. And thus indeed the godly, 
though the sons of peace, are the improper causes, the 
occasion of much noise and disturbance in the world; 
as their Lord, the Prince of peace, avows it openly of 
Himself in that sense, / came not to send peace, but a 
sword, to set a man at variance with his father, and the 
daughter against the mother, etc. (Matt. x. 34.) If 
a son in a family begin to inquire after God, and with- 
draw from their profane or dead way, oh, what a clamour 
rises presently ! '' Oh, my son, or daughter, or wife, 
is become a plain fool," etc. And then all is done 
that may be, to quell and vex them, and make their 
life grievous to them. The exact holy walking of a 
Christian really condemns the world about him ; shows 
the disorder and foulness of their profane ways. The 
life of religion, set by the side of dead formality, dis- 
covers it to be a carcass, a lifeless appearance ; and 
for this, neither grossly wicked, nor decent, formal 
persons can well digest it. There is in the life of a 
Christian a convincing light, that shows the deformity 
of the works of darkness, and a piercing heart, that 
scorches the ungodly, and stirs and troubles their con- 



424 GLEANINGS FROM 

sciences. This they cannot endure, and hence rises 
in them a contrary fire of wicked hatred, and hence 
the trials, the fiery trials of the godly. 

Hear what God the Lord hath spoken, 
! my people, faint and few, 
Comfortless, afflicted, broken. 
Fair abodes I build for you ; 
Thorns of heart-felt tribulation 
Shall no more perplex your ways ; 
You shall name your walls Salvation ; 
And your gates shall all be Praise. 

There, like streams that feed the garden, 
Pleasures without end shall flow ; 
Por the Lord your faith rewarding, 
All his bounty shall bestow ; 
Still in undisturbed possession. 
Peace and righteousness shall reign ; 
Never shall you feel oppression, 
Hear the voice of war again. 

Ye, no more your suns descending, 
Waning moons no more shall see ; 
But your griefs for ever ending, 
Pind eternal noon in me : 
God shall rise, and shining o'er you. 
Change to day the gloom of night ; 
He the Lord shall be your glory, 
God your everlasting light. 



When the holy Jesus saith, *' If the world hate 
you," he does not add by way of consolation, that it 
may some time or other cease its hatred, or that it 
will not always hate them ; but he only gives this as a 



PIOUS AUTHOKS. 425 

reason for their bearing it, "ye know that it hated 
me, before it hated you ;" signifying, that it was He, 
that is, his spirit, that by reason of its contrariety to 
the world, was then, and always would be, hated by it. 



In the world ye shall have tribulation : hut he of 
good cheer ; I have overcome the world, John xvi. 33. 



The Apostle Paul was a chosen vessel, and dearly 
beloved of the Lord ; but the Lord did not say con- 
cerning him, what great things he was to do or enjoy, 
(though nobody perhaps ever did more for Christ, or 
enjoyed more of him upon earth,) but, " What great 
things he must suffer for my name's sake." The flesh 
shrinks at this ; but grace can enable the soul to count 
it all joy when it falls into divers temptations ; not for 
the grief that is in them, for that would be unnatural, 
but for the peaceable fruits of righteousness which they 
shall produce in the end. 



My flesh and my heart faileth ; hut Qod is the 
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. PSALM 
Ixxiii. 26. 



When pining sickness wastes the frame. 
Acute disease and weakening pain ; 
When life fast spends her feeble flame, 
And all the help of man is vain : 
Joyless and dark all things appear. 
Languid the spirits, weak the flesh : 
Med'cines can't ease, nor cordials cheer. 
Nor food support, nor sleep refresh. 

36* 



426 GLEANINGS FROM 

Oh ! then to have recourse to God, 
To pray to Him in time of need : 
To feel the balm of Jesus' blood, 
This is to find a friend indeed. 
0, Christian ! this thy happy lot, 
Who cleavest to the Lord by faith ; 
He'll never leave thee, doubt it not. 
In pain, in sickness, or in death. 

When flesh and heart decays and fails, 
He will thy strength and portion be. 
Support thy weakness, bear thy ails. 
And softly whisper, " Trust in me." 
Himself shall be thy tender friend. 
Thy kind Physician and thy stay. 
To make thy bed will condescend. 
And chase thy burning tears away. 



How animating the example of the aged Christian 
whose whole demeanour is dignified by the influence 
of gospel principles ; he cometh to the grave in a full 
age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season ! Job 
V. 26. 



The soul's dark cottage battered and decayed, 
Lets in new light through chinks that time has made ; 
Stronger by weakness pious men become 
As they draw near to their eternal home ; 
Thus our past life, when virtuously spent, 
Must to our age its happy fruits present. 

What though the almond-tree be silver'd o'er,* 
And trembling stand the keepers of the door ; 

* EccLES. 12th chap. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 427 

The strong men bow themselves ; the grinders cease; 
And fears alarm, when all abroad is peace ; 
Though yon bright sun no longer can delight ; 
Unfelt its influence, as debarred its sight ; 
Though the light grasshopper a burden grows, 
And the small wren can rob thee of repose ; 
Desire all fled ; music no joy afi'ord ; 
Just broke the golden bowl ; just loosed the silver 

cord ; 
Yet patience, resignation, still are thine ; 
Through the dark eye-ball heaven-born faith may 

shine, 
A lamp to lighten others on their way, 
And cheer them onward to the realms of day ; 
Too late the rules of living to supply, 
The hoary head should teach us how to die. 



We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house 
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 CoR. 
V. 1. 



And shall we mourn to see 

Our fellow prisoner free — 
Free from doubts, and griefs, and fears, 

In the haven of the skies ? 
Can we weep to see the tears 

Wiped for ever from his eyes ? 

Through clouds and storms a summer breaks, 
To shine on the resigned. • 



And I will prat/ the Father, and he shall give you 
another Comforter^ that he may abide with you for ever, 
John xiv. 16. 



428 GLEANINGS FROM 

Reader ! art thou desolate and afflicted because an 
earthly friend is taken from thee, remember, " If the 
Comforter could make up for the loss of Christ's 
bodily presence ; yea, make it even expedient that He 
should go away; how much more can he supply the 
place of every creature !" 

Fear not, Zion's sons and daughters ! 

Perfect love should cast out fear, 
When you pass through deepest waters, 

I, your Saviour, still am near. 

Overwhelm' d by waves of sorrow, 
Place your trust in Zion's King ; 

Thence fresh comfort ye shall borrow. 
Thence memorial stones shall bring. 

In the furnace of affliction, 

I will save you from despair ; 
Love divine shall bring conviction 

That my arm is round you there. 

Never shall you be forsaken. 

Nothing shall have power to harm, 

"While your faith remains unshaken 
In Jehovah's outstretch' d arm. 

Heights nor depths shall from me sever 
Those whom Christ hath brought to me, 

I will keep them safe for ever. 
And their God and Saviour be. 



What are these which are arrayed in white roles f and 
whence came they? — These are they which came out 
of great tribulation, and have washed their roles, and 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 429 

made them white in the blood of the Lamb. There- 
fore are they before the throne of Cfod, and serve 
him day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth 
on the throne shall dwell among them. Rev. vii. 13, 
14, 15. 



At the Creation, amidst the darkness of chaos, Je- 
hovah said, Let there be light, and there was light. 
When veiled in human flesh, he commanded the raging 
winds and waves, saying, Peace, be still; and immedi- 
ately there was a great calm. To his tempest-tossed 
people he now speaks these composing words : Be still, 
and know that I am God — and they find rest unto their 
souls. 



In violent public commotions, "God can still the 
madness of the people;" and in inward mental agonies 
he can calm the agitated spirit. When he giveth qui- 
etness, who then can make trouble ? and when he hideth his 
face,who then can behold him ? whether it be done against a 
nation, or against a man only. Job xxxiv. 29. 

Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or 
what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall 
put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body 
than raiment 1 Behold the fowls of the air. for they 
sow not, nor gather into barns : yet your heavenly Father 
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matt. 
vi. 25, 26. 

^F 'I^ ^ ^ 5}i 

Think not, when all your scanty stores affor 
Is spread at once upon the sparing board ; 
Think not, when worn the homely robe appears, 
While on the roof the howling tempest bears ; 



tSO aLEANINGS FROM 

What farther shall this feeble life sustain ; 

And what shall clothe these shivering limbs again— 

Say. does not life its nourishment exceed? 

And the fair body its investing weed ? 

Behold ! and look away your low despair — 

See the light tenants of the barren air : 

To them, nor stores, nor granaries belong, 

Nought but the woodland and the pleasing song ; 

Yet, your kind heavenly Father bends his eye 

On the least wing that flits along the sky ; 

To Him they sing when spring renews the plain, 

To Him they cry in winter's pinching reign ; 

Nor is their music, nor their plaint in vain : 

He hears the gay, and the distressful call, 

And with unsparing bounty fills them all. 

Observe the rising lily's snowy grace, 

Observe the various vegetable race ; 

They neither toil nor spin, but careless grow, 

Yet see how warm they blush ! how bright they glow ! 

What regal vestments can with them compare ! 

What King so shining ! or what Queen so fair ! 

If ceaseless thus the fowls of Heaven He feeds, 

If o'er the fields such lucid robes He spreads, 

Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say ? 

Is He unwise ? or are you less than they ? 



If God so clothe the grass of the f eld, which to-day is, 
and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much 
more clothe you, O ye of little faith 1 Matt. vi. 30. 



In youth we are prone to form apprehensions that 
when we have attained more advanced years we will 
yield more of our affections, and our faculties, to draw- 
ing near unto God, and to the promotion of his right- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 



431 



eous cause. But this assuredly is a snare of the en- 
emy ; it is not that perfect dedication which is often 
enjoyed and typified, under the law, by a sacrifice of 
the first year without blemish. Great indeed and in- 
variable are the advantages attending an early dedica- 
tion. 



Piety is the brightest ornament, and the best safe- 
guard of youth. 

As under the law the first-fruits were to be conse- 
crated to God, so ought the first and best years of life. 



"Early religion," observed the pious Doddridge, 
■' lays the foundation of happiness both in time and 
eternity." 



When we read the sacred page, and mark its char- 
acter, we find that among the most eminently dignified 
in the Lord's service, are some who in very youth were 
given up to promote his righteousness. Joseph, Moses, 
Joshua, Samuel, David, Josiah, and Daniel, were 
among these ; the strength of their days was yielded 
to holy requirings, and their lives were honourable. 



Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 
while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, 
when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. — 
ECCLES. xii. 1. 



Men may difi'er from us in their opinions as well as 
their expressions, and nevertheless be partakers of the 
like precious faith. It is possible they may not have 
v> distinct apprehension of the very blessings which they 



432 GLEANINGS FROM 

enjoy, their ideas may not be so clear, and yet their 
experience may be as sound as ours. 

If thou wouldst be extensively useful, waste not thy 
strength upon those things which are of a disputable 
nature ; but testify against open, notorious vice ; and 
promote real essential holiness. Leave disputable 
points to those who have no better business than to 
toss the ball of controversy to and fro. 

These six things does the Lord hate ; yea, seven are 
an abomination unto him : AproudlooJc, a lying tongue^ 
and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that de- 
viseth v'icked imaginations, feet that be swift in run- 
ning to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and 
he that sotueth discord among brethren. — (Prov. chap, 
vi. 16, 17, 18, 19.) 

The latter evil Matthew Henry defines as " making 
mischief between relations and neighbours, and using 
means, not only to alienate them one from another, but 
to irritate them one against another. Those who by 
tale-bearing and slandering, by carrying ill-natured 
stories, aggravating everything that is said and done, 
and by suggesting jealousies and evil surmises, blow the 
coals of contention, are preparing for themselves a fire 
of the same nature." 

" Let us then," continues the commentator, " shun 
all such practices, and watch and pray against every 
propensity to them, and avoid, with marked disappro- 
val, all who are guilty of them, whatever may be their 
rank in society." 

Some professors pass for very meek good-natured 
people till you displease them ; they resemble a pooler 
a pond; while vou let it alone it looks clear and limpid, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 433 

but if you stir towards the bottom, the rising sediments 
soon discover the impurities that lurk beneath. 



When the spirit of Christianity shall exert its pro- 
per influence over the minds of individuals, and especi- 
ally over the minds of public men in their public ca- 
pacities, war will cease throughout the Christian world. 

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of 
Mm that bring eth good tidings^ that publisheth peace. — 
Isaiah lii. 7. 



Adams. — Grod be merciful to me a sinner, said the 
Publican. If I were to hear you wishing to be the man , 
I should hope well of your case ; if you say you are, it 
is a hundred to one you are mistaken. 



How often do men work earnestly, and do and suffer 
much, for the uncertain wages of glory and thanks 
amongst men ! and how many of them fall short of their 
reckoning, either dying before they come to that state 
where they think to find it, or not finding it where they 
looked for it, and so they live but to feel the pain of their 
disappointments. Or, if they do attain their end, such 
glory and thanks as men have to give them, what 
amounts it to ? Is it any other than a handful of no- 
thing, the breath of their mouths, and themselves much 
like it, a vapour dying out in the air? 

Crod is love : and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth 
in (jfod, and Cfod in him. — 1 John iv. 16. 



Oh when shall the loud and harsh noises of debate 
be turned to the sweet sounds of united prayer for the 
-blessing of peace ! Truly devout supplications to the 

God of peace will assuredly reach his ear who delighteth 

sr 



434 GLEANINGS FROM 

in peace. The badge of discipleship is not of a doubt- 
ful character ; if we are the followers of Jesus Christ 
we shall love one another. To attain to this happy 
state, all Christians should unite their endeavours, and 
instead of looking out for and insisting upon points of 
difference and distinction, seek for those only in which 
they do or may agree. They may, at least, sow the 
seeds of peace and unity, though they should not live 
to reap the fruits of it in this world. Blessed are the 
jpeace-mahers, says the Prince of Peace, for they shall 
he called the children of God. 



When joined to that harmonious throng, 

That fills the choirs above ; 
Then we shall tune our golden harps, 

And every note be — Love. 



But the end of all things is at hand: he ye therefore 
soher, and watch unto prayer. And ahove all things 
have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity 
shall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter iv. 7, 8. 



Doddridge says — " Happy shall that disciple of our 
compassionate Lord be, whom he shall most eminently 
own, in healing the breaches which the artificers of 
the tempter, too often abetted by the infirmities of 
God's faithful servants, have already made in the 
church, and which the great enemy is continually 
endeavouring to multiply and to widen ; happy he who, 
reverencing and loving his master's image wherever he 
sees it, shall teach others so to do, and who being 
himself an example of yielding (so far as he conscien- 
tiously can), and of not taking upon him to censure 
others where he cannot yield to them, shall do hia 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 435 

part towards cementing in the bonds of holy love all 
the children of God, and the members of Christ ; how 
unsuccessful soever his efforts may be, or by what- 
ever suspicions and reproachful names his modera- 
tion may be stigmatized, his Divine Master will neither 
fail to consider it in its true view, nor to honour it 
with proportionable tokens of his acceptance and favour. 



Ye different sects, who all declare, 
"Lo, here is Christ !" or " Christ is there !" 
Your stronger proofs divinely give. 
And show me where the Christians live. 
Your claim, alas ! ye cannot prove ; 
Ye want the genuine mark of love ; 
Thou only, Lord, thine own canst show; 
For sure tliou hast a church helow. 



There is a special debt of pity to those whom we 
love as brethren in our Lord Jesus Christ : they are 
most closely linked to us by a peculiar fraternal love ; 
an helping hand is due to all, but especially to these, 
and if we ought to discharge this debt in regard to 
outward distresses, how much in their soul afflictions ! 
— the rather because they are most heavy in them- 
selves, and least understood, and therefore least re- 
garded; yea, sometimes rendered yet heavier by 
natural friends, possibly by their bitter scoffs and 
taunts, or by their slighting, or at least by their mis- 
applying of proper helps and remedies, which, as unfit 
medicines, do rather exasperate the disease ; therefore 
they that do understand and can be sensible of that 
kind of wound, ought so much the more to be tender 
and pitiful towards it, and to deal mercifully and 
gently with it. It may be, very weak things some- 



436 GLEANINGS FROM 

times trouble a weak Christian ; but there is in tbe 
spirit of the godly, an humble condescension learned 
from Christ, who hrohe not the bruised reed, nor 
quenched the smoking flax. The least difficulties and 
scruples in a tender conscience should not be roughly 
encountered ; they are as a knot in a silken thread, and 
require a gentle and wary hand to loose them. 

Let none say, " If I betake myself to the way of 
godliness, I must bid farewell to gladness;" no, on the 
contrary, never a truly joyful day till then, yea, no 
days at all, but night to the soul, till it entertain Jesus 
Christ, and his kingdom, which consists in righteous- 
nesSy peace, and jog in the Eoly Crhost. 

Be not conformed to this world, — Every command 
in Scripture can be evaded, and every doctrinal asser- 
tion perverted, plausibly and handsomely, if we set 
about it in good earnest. Many there are who praise 
the principle of self-denial in general, and condemn it 
in its peculiar applications as too minute, scrupulous, 
and severe, but let not any think that small which 
has a bearing upon the kingdom of Christ. The 
severest part of self denial consists in encountering 
the disapprobation, the envy, the hatred of one's 
dearest friends. All who enter the strait and narrow 
path in good earnest, soon find themselves in a climate 
extremely uncongenial to the growth of pride. How 
strikingly obvious is the truth that Christ has never 
honoured the leaders of worldly fashion (while they re- 
mained such) by appointing them leaders in his cause ! 

Wherefore, come out from among them, and he ye 
separate, saith the Lord. 2 Cor. vi. 17. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 437 

JuDSON. — What is the real motive for wearing 
ornamental and costly apparel ? Is it not the desire 
of setting off one's person to the best advantage, and 
of exciting the love and admiration of others? Is 
not such dress calculated to gratify self-love; to cherish 
the sentiments of vanity and pride? And is it not 
the nature of those sentiments to acquire strength 
from indulgence? Do such motives and sentiments 
comport with the meek, humble, self-denying religion 
of Jesus Christ ? 



Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorn- 
ing of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of 
putting on of apparel: but let it be the hidden man 
of the heart, in that luhich is not corruptible, even the 
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the 
sight of God of great price. 1 Peter iii. 3, 4. 

" Here" (says Leighton) ': the Apostle pulls off from 
Christian women their vain outside ornaments ; but is 
not this a wrong, to spoil all their dressing and fine- 
ness ? No, he doth this, only to send them to a better 
wardrobe : there is much profit in the change." 



It may fairly be considered in some sort that a 
parent's life is a child's copy, and also be accounted 
no small mercy when children have patterns of holi- 
ness before them. Those things which ye have both 
learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do : 
and the G-od of peace shall be with you. (Phil. iv. 9.) 
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 
(1 Cor. xi. 1.) The neglect of Eli forms an affecting 
contrast to that of Abraham ; hia sons made themselves 
vile, and he restrained them not ; wherefore God being 
37* 



488 GLEANINGS FKOM 

displeased -with him, put his family out of the priest- 
hood, and declared as a sign of his displeasure, that 
Hophni and Phinehas should both of them die in one 
day, 

AVhat sadder tidings can ever reach the ear of a 
pious parent than that a child has been cut off in his 
sins ; or what but the reflection of duty discharged, 
can afford comfort in that day ! 



Hannah More. — ^' When we are upon the brink of 
eternity, how do all earthly things shrink into their 
merited littleness !" 



Where are thy hopes of better things ? 

Where are thy riches that have no wings ? 

Where are thy treasures without alloy, 

Which rust and moth cannot destroy ? 

Where is thy refuge from grief and care ? 

Canst thou point to Heaven, and answer " There !" 



How sweet a life might Christians live, could they 
but bring their hearts to a full subjection to the dis- 
posing will of God ! to be content not only with what 
he commands and approves, but also with what he al- 
lots and appoints ! It was a sweet reply a woman 
once made upon her death-bed to a friend that asked 
whether she were more willing to live or die ? She an- 
swered, " I am pleased with what God pleases." " Yea," 
said her friend, " but if God should refer it to you, 
which would you choose ?" " Truly," said she, " if God 
would refer it to me, I would refer it to him again." 
Ah, blessed life, when the will is swallowed up in the 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 439 

will of God, and the heart at rest in his care and love, 
and pleased with all his appointments ! 



Lord, I would, I do submit. 
Gladly yield my all to thee; 

What thy wisdom sees most fit, 
Must be, surely, best for me. 

Only when the way is rough, 

And the coward flesh would start, 

Let thy promise and thy love 
Cheer and animate my heart. 



When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 
Luke xxii. 32. 



The conversion of a soul is an inestimable gain ; it 
is a high trading and design to go about it. Oh ! the 
precious soul, but how under-valued by most ! Will 
we believe Him who well knew the price of it, for He 
paid it, that the whole visible world is not worth one 
soul, the gaining of it all cannot countervail that loss ? 
(Matt. xvi. 26.) This, wives, and husbands, and pa- 
rents, and friends, if themselves converted, would con- 
sider seriously, and apply themselves to pray much 
that their unconverted relations, in nature dead, may 
be enlivened, and that they may receive them from 
death; and they would esteem nothing, rest in no 
natural content or gain without that, at least without 
using incessant diligence in seeking, and their utmost 
skill and pains. 

A soul redeemed demands a life of praise. 



440 GLEANINGS FROM 

The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driV' 
eth away. Am I an empty professor who wants the 
pith and substance of real godliness ? Then am I but 
chaff in God's account, though I grow among his corn. 
The eye of man cannot discern my hypocrisy ; but 
when he comes, whose fan is in his hand, how plainly^ 
will it be detected ! Angels and men shall discern it, 
and say, Lo^ this is the man that made not God his 
strength. How shall I abide the day of his coming ? 
Things shall not be carried then by names and parties, 
as they are now ; every one shall be weighed in a just 
balance, and a J^hne Tekel written upon every false 
heart. Is there such a fanning-time coming ? "Why 
do I not sift my heart every day by serious self-exam- 
ination ? No work more important than this; and yet 
how much have I neglected it ! my soul, how much 
happier his condition who, however humbled in spirit, 
can endure the coming day of sifting, and will be found 
among the wheat, the weighty wheat, which will be 
gathered into the heavenly garner ! 

Kot many wise men after thejlesh, not many mighty y 
not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the 
foolish things of the world to confound the things which 
are mighty ; and base things of the world, and things 
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things 
which are not, to bring to nought things that are ; that 
no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 CoR. i. 26, 
27, 28, 29. 

In the first planting of Christianity in the world, by 
what weak instruments was it done ! Christ did not 
choose eloquent orators, or men of authority in the 
courts of kings and emperors, but twelve poor mechanics 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 441 

and fishermen ; and these not sent together in a troop, 
but some to take one country to conquer it, and some 
another — the most ridiculous course in appearance that 
could be imagined ; and yet in how short a time was the 
gospel spread, and churches planted by them in the 
several kingdoms of the world ! 



Lord, I would rather stand 

A keeper at thy gate. 
Than on the King's right hand. 

In tents of worldly state ; 
One day within thy courts, one day, 
Is worth a thousand cast away. 



The Lord shall he thine everlasting light, and the days 
of thy mourning shall he ended, Isaiah Ix. 20. 

Christian ! Whatsoever thy troubles, wants, or 
fears, remember for thy encouragement the condition 
of the children of Israel ; when they came near the 
Land of Promise there was a swelling Jordan betwixt 
it and them, which seemed to forbid their further pas- 
sage : but it is said in Joshua iii. 17 : The priests that 
bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, stood firm on 
the ground in the midst of Jordan ; and all the Israel- 
ites passed over on dry ground, until all the people 
were passed clean over Jordan. 

With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered 
together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the 
depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. ExODUS 
XV. 8. 



how delightful it will be, to behold at one view, 
the whole design of Providence, and the proper place 



442 GLEANINGS FROM 

and use of every single act, which we could not under- 
stand in- this world! All the dark, intricate, puzzling 
providences, at which we are now sometimes so stum- 
bled and sometimes amazed, which we can reconcile 
neither with the promises nor with each other, nay, 
which we so unjustly censure and bitterly bewail as if; 
they had fallen out quite cross to our happiness, we 
shall then see to be unto us, as the difficult passage 
through the wilderness was unto Israel, the right way 
to a city of habitation. 



What I do thou hnowest not now, hut thou shdlt 
know hereafter. — John xiii. 7. 



Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, 
The clouds ye so much dread. 

Are big with mercy, and shall break 
In blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 
But trust him for his grace ; 

Behind a frowning providence 
He hides a smiling face. 

His purposes will ripen fast, 

Unfolding every hour ; 
The bud may have a bitter taste. 

But sweet will be the flower. 

Blind unbelief is sure to err. 
And scan his work in vain ; 

God is his own interpreter. 
And he will make it plain. 



/ have yet many things to say unto you, hut ye can- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 443 

not hear them now. Howheit when he, the Spirit of 
Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth : for he 
shall not speaJc of himself; hut tuhatsoever he shall 
hear, that shall he speah : and he will show you things 
to come. — John xvi. 12, 13. 



Though hearing and reading are the usual means of 
convincing serious minds of the religious experiences 
of the faithful, such aids alone cannot turn the strong 
tide of our propensity to evil. That wonderful change 
doth not consist in a mere assent to truths proposed to 
the understanding, but in a conversion of the will by the 
operation of the Spirit of Truth, which alternately en- 
lightens the mind, and mortifies the will, till the point 
of entire passiveness is attained ; when the balm of 
healing mercy is poured into the soul, and produces 
such a determined preference of good in the mind and 
afi'ections, as fully sets it free from the dominion and 
torment of corrupt nature. During this strife of the 
two seeds of grace and evil in the soul, the disposition 
and conduct of the patients are wavering and in- 
constant, and, to inexperienced, and superficial obser- 
vers, utterly incomprehensible. They are supposed by 
such, and sometimes perhaps by themselves, to be sub- 
jects of the heavenly kingdom ; whereas they are yet 
only approaching it; and, not having entered its strait 
gate, are still too much strangers to its laws and or- 
dinances, perfectly to keep them. In this prepara- 
tory state, we are taught by our frequent miscarriages, 
the insufficiency of man to direct his own steps ; and 
not being yet wholly weaned from human dependence, 
Divine wisdom sees meet to make use of instrumental 
helpers for our aid and encouragement, graduallv less- 



444 GLEANINGS FROM 

ening and removing these, as we are able to endure 
the deprivation : — till, at length, all these props being 
struck away, we appear to ourselves as utterly desti- 
tute and forsaken. Thus what was said of typical Israel, 
is spiritually experienced by the Christian traveller ; 
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howl- 
ing wilderness: He led him about; He instructed him ; 
He kept him as the apple of his eye ; and what follows 
is fulfilled, to his unspeakable and everlasting comfort. 
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her 
young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, and 
heareth them upon her wings, so the Lord alone did 
lead him, and (now) there is no strange Grod (or in- 
ferior object of dependence) with him. 



If, in thy journey through life, thou overtake or art 
overtaken by any one who is seeking truth for its own 
sake, thou needest not inquire from whence he came, 
or from which particular tribe he sprang, but frankly 
give him thy hand ; for be assured, thou hast found a 
safe and instructive companion. 



To act continually with integrity of heart, above all 
narrow or selfish motives, is a sure token of our being 
partakers of that salvation which God hath appointed 
for walls and bulwarks, (IsAiAH xxvi. 1,) and is beyond 
all contradiction, a more happy situation than can ever 
be promised by the utmost reach of art and power 
united, not proceeding from heavenly wisdom. A sup- 
ply to nature's lawful wants joined with a peaceful, 
humble mind, is the truest happiness in this life ; and 
if here we arrive at this, and remain to walk in the 
path of the just, our case will be truly happy. And 
though herein we may part with, or miss of some glar- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 445 

ing shows of riches, and leave our children little else 
but wise instructions, a good example, and the know- 
ledge of some honest employment; these, with the 
blessing of Providence, are sufficient for their happi- 
ness, and are more likely to prove so, than laying up 
treasures for them, which are often rather a snare, 
than any real benefit ; especially to them, who instead 
of being exampled to temperance, are in all things 
taught to prefer the getting of riches, and to eye the 
temporal distinctions they give, as the principal busi- 
ness of this life. These readily overlook the true 
happiness of man, as it results from the enjoyment of 
ail things in the fear of God, and, miserably substi- 
tuting an inferior good, dangerous in the acquiring, 
and uncertain in the fruition, they are subject to 
many disappointments, and every sweet carries its sting. 

It is the conclusion of our blessed Lord and his 
apostles, as appears by their lives and doctrines, that 
the highest delights of sense, or most pleasing objects 
visible, ought ever to be accounted infinitely inferior 
to that real intellectual happiness suited to man in his 
primitive innocence, and now to be found in true reno- 
vation of mind ; and that the comforts of our present 
lif^, the things most grateful to us, ought always to be 
received with temperance, and never made the chief 
objects of our desire, hope, or love ; but that our whole 
heart and afi'ections be principally looking to that 
"city which hath foundations, whose maker and 
builder is God." Did we so improve the gifts bestowed 
upon us, that our children might have an education 
suited to these doctrines, and our example to confirm 
it, we might rejoice in hopes of their being heirs of 
an inheritance incorruptible. 

38 



446 GLEANINGS FROM 

They that will he rich fall into temptation and a 
snare, and into many foolish and hwtful lusts, which 
droivn men in destruction and perdition. For the 
love of money is the root of all evil: which while 
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and 
'pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Tim. 
vi. 9, 10. 



In holy writ the Divine Being saith of himself, " I 
am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment 
and righteousness in the earth ; for in these things I 
delight, saith the Lord." (Jer. ix. 24.) Again, speak- 
ing in the way of man, to show his compassion to Israel, 
whose wickedness had occasioned a calamity, and then 
being humbled under it, it is said His soul was grieved 
for their miseries. (Judges x. 16.) If we consider 
the life of our blessed Saviour when on earth, as it is 
recorded by his followers, we shall find, that one uni- 
form desire for the eternal and temporal good of man- 
kind, discovered itself in all his actions. If we observe 
men, both apostles and others, in many different ages, 
who have really come to the unity of the spirit, and 
the fellowship of the saints, there still appears the like 
disposition, and in them the desire of the real happi- 
ness of mankind has outbalanced the desire of ease, 
liberty, and many times, life itself. 

If upon a true search, we find that our natures are 
so far renewed, that to exercise righteousness and 
loving-kindness (according to our ability) towards all 
men, without respect of persons, is easy to us, or is 
our delight ; if our love be so orderly and regular, 
that he who doeth the will of our Father, who is in 
heaven, appears in cur view, to be our nearest relation, 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 447 

our brother, and sister, and mother; if this be our 
case, there is a good foundation to hope, that the bless- 
ing of God will sweeten our treasures during our stay 
in this life, and our memory be savoury, when we are 
entered into rest. 



It is a truth most certain, that a life guided by wis- 
dom from above, agreeable with justice, • equity, and 
mercy, is throughout consistent and amiable, and truly 
beneficial to society ; the serenity and calmness of 
mind in it afi'ords an unparalleled comfort in this life, 
and the end of it is blessed. And no less true that 
they, who in the midst of high favours, remain un- 
grateful, and, under all the advantages that a Christian 
can desire, are selfish, earthly, and sensual, do miss 
the true fountain of happiness, and wander in a maze 
of dark anxiety, where all their treasures are insufii- 
cient to quiet their minds : hence from an insatiable 
craving, they neglect doing good with what they have 
acquired, and too often add oppression to vanity, that 
they may compass more. — that they ivere wise, that 
they understood this, that they would consider their 
latter end ! — Deut. xxxii. 29. 



In all our concerns, it is necessary that nothing we 
do may carry the appearance of approbation of the 
works of wickedness, make the unrighteous more at 
ease in unrighteousness, or occasion the injuries com- 
mitted against the oppressed to be more lightly looked 
over. 



Newton.— There is but one thing worth living for ; 
that we may live to him who died for us ; that we may 
live to show forth his praise, by obedience, by submis- 



448 GLEANINGS FROM 

sion, by usefulness to others, in visiting the afflicted, 
assisting them by our sympathy, counsel, prayers, or 
purse, as the case requires ; in supporting the cause 
of the gospel, and forwarding whatever bids fair for 
the good of society. These aims ought chiefly to en- 
gage our time, talents, and influence. ! what an 
honour to be the instruments of the Lord, in difi'using 
his benefits around us ! to be the followers of him who 
went about doing good ! 



Who is my neighbour ? 

Thy neighbour ? It is he whom thou 

Hast power to aid and bless. 
Whose aching heart, or burning brow, 
Thy soothing hand may press. 

Thy neighbour ? 'Tis the fainting poor, 
Whose eye with want is dim. 

Whom hunger sends from door to door ; 
Go thou and succour him. 

Thy neighbour ? 'Tis that weary man, 
Whose years are at their brim. 

Bent low with sickness, cares, and pain ; 
Go thou and comfort him. 

Thy neighbour ? 'Tis the heart bereft 

Of every earthly gem. 
Widow and orphan, helpless left ; 

Go thou and shelter them. 

Thy neighbour ? Yonder toiling slave, 
Fetter'd in thought and limb, 

Whose hopes are all beyond the grave ; 
Go thou and ransom him. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 449 

Whene'er thou meet'st a human form 

Less favour'd than thine own, 
Remember, 'tis thy neighbour worm, 

Thy brother, or thy son. 

Oh ! pass not, pass not heedless by, 

Perhaps thou canst redeem 
The aching heart from misery ; 

Go share thy lot with him. 

In thy light shall we see light, — Psalm xxxvi. 9. 



Of outward testimony it is said, every word shall be 
established by two witnesses. (Matt, xviii. 16.) ;But 
truths presented to the mind in the Divine light, re- 
quire no such evidence : they produce a distinctive as- 
sent, and leave no more room for doubt and conjecture, 
than when in the clear sunshine we see any person or 
thing with which we are well acquainted. 



To this end was I horn, and for this cause came I 
into the world, that I should hear witness unto the 
truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my 
voice. — John xviii. 37. 



Men commonly read and hear, and may possibly 
preach, of the sufferings of Christ as a common story, 
and in that way it may a little move a man, and wring 
tears from his eyes. But faith hath another kind of 
sight of them, and so works another kind of affections ; 
and without that, the very eye-sight of them had 
availed the apostles nothing; for how many saw him 
suffer as they did, who reviled, or at least despised him. 
But by the eye of faith to see the only begotten Son 
of God, as stricken and smitten of God, hearing our 

38 '^- 



450 GLEANINGS FROM 

sorrows J and tuounded for our transgressions^ Jesus 
Christ the righteous^ reckoned amongst the unrighteous 
and malefactors; to see Him stripped naked, and 
scourged, and buffeted, and nailed, and dying : and all 
for us ; this is the thing that ^Till bind upon us strongly, 
all the duties of Christianity and of our particular 
callings, and best enable us, according to our callings, 
to bind them upon others. 



Surely the righteous shall give thayiJcs unto thy 
name : the upright shall divellin thy presence. — PsALM 
cxl. 13. 



Those who maintain that holy exercise which enables 
them to walk in the presence of God, exhibit true sim- 
plicity of spirit; they aim at setting the Lord before 
them in all they do, seeking neither their own interest, 
their own gratification, or their own pleasure : they 
resemble the magnetic needle which points always to 
ward the north, turning neither to, the right hand or 
to the left : and if by some strange violence, it is for 
a moment in the slightest degree moved aside, it is in- 
cessantly agitated until it regains its right position. 



Bishop Hall. — blessed Saviour, what strange 
variety of conceits do I find, concerning thy thousand 
years' reign ! What riddles are in that prophecy, 
which no human tongue can read. Where to fix the 
beginning of that marvellous millenary, and where the 
end? and Avhat manner of reign it shall be, whether 
temporal or spiritual, on earth or in heaven, undergoes 
as many constructions as there are pens that have un- 
dertaken it. And yet, (when all is done,) I see thine 
apostle speaks only of the souls of thy martyrs reign- 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 451 

ing so long with thee, not of thy reigning on earth so 
long with those martyrs. How busy are the tongues 
of men ; hov/ are their brains taken up with the inde- 
terminable construction of this enigmatical truth ; when, 
in the mean time, the care of thy spiritual reign in 
their heart is neglected ! my Saviour, while others 
weary themselves with the disquisition of thy personal 
reign here upon earth for a thousand years, let it be 
the whole bent and study of my soul to make sure of 
my personal reign with thee in heaven to all eternity. 

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when 
the kingdom of God should eome, he answered them and 
said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation ; 
neither shall they say, Lo here ! or lo there ! for behold 
the khigdom of God is within you. LuKE xvii. 20, 21. 

Augustine. — I went out of the way like a wander- 
ing sheep, seeking that externally which was within 
me ; I traversed the street and the ways of this great 
world, looking after thee, my God, and I found thee 
not, because I sought thee not aright, and therefore 
did not arrive at the spot where thou art to be found ; 
I sought thee without and thou art within me, I sought 
thee afar off and thou art near at hand ; I should have 
met with thee at once had I sought thee where thou 
art. 



God that 7nade the world and all things therein, see- 
ing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth 
not in temples made ivith hands ; neither is icorshipped 
with men's hands, as though he needed anything, see- 
ing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things: 
and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to 
dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined 



452 GLEANINGS FEOM 

the times before appointed, and the hounds of their hab- 
itation ; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they 
might feel after him^ and fnd him, though he he not 
far from every one of us. Acts xvii. 24, 25, 26, 27. 

Leighton. — " Oh -what a weariness is it to live 
amongst men, and find so few men ; and amongst Chris- 
tians, and find so few Christians ; so much talk and so 
little action ; religion turned almost to a tune and air 
of words ; and amidst all our pretty discourses, pusil- 
lanimous and base, and so easily dragged into the mire, 
self and flesh and pride and passion domineering, while 
we speak of being in Christ and clothed with him, 
and believe it, because we speak it so often and so con- 
fidently." 

Thou know'st who only bows the knee; 
And who in heart approaches Thee. 



'White on Peayer, (abridged.) — "But there is one 
feature in the Christian character, in which I cannot 
but fear that there has not been an advance at all pro- 
portioned to the progress discernible in so many others; 
and yet one of such paramount importance, that on it, 
above every other, the progress of Divine life in the 
believer's soul is suspended; nothing can compensate for 
its neglect, which will assuredly be followed and 
chastised by a decline and decay in every spiritual 
grace, and, \i persevered in, by every appalling symp- 
tom of approaching spiritual death. I mean the habit 
of private prayer, of devout communion, in retirement 
with the Father of our spirits, entering into our cham- 
ber and shutting the door, and praying to our Father 
in heaven, who heareth in secret ; coming before him 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 453 

in all the confiding and grateful affection of children, 
in whose hearts the spirit of adoption has been shed 
abroad, whereby we are privileged to cry, Abba, Father ; 
approaching a reconciled God through his dear Son, in 
such a spirit ; to spread out before him all our wants 
and wishes ; to pour all our griefs and anxieties into 
his compassionate ears ; to confess to him all our sins, 
and confide to him all our sorrows ; seeking to be sup- 
ported by his strength, sanctified by his spirit, guided 
by his counsel, and gladdened by his consolations. 
There has not, I fear, been a progress in this depart- 
ment of the Christian system, at all proportionate to 
that discernible in many others. We live in an age 
of decidedly increased knowledge, zeal, exertion in 
Divine things — yea, and increased social prayer ; but 
do we live in an age of increased secret prayer ? 1 
fear not, and to this single fact may be, I think, mainly 
attributed the many glaring inconsistencies and blem- 
ishes that disfigure the aspect of the professing Church 
of Christ. Prayer is the Divinely appointed means of 
sustaining spiritual life in a believer's soul, and by 
shedding on all within, the influence of Divine grace, 
imparting to all without, the impress of the Divine 
image. It is the gathering of the celestial manna — 
the feeding on the living bread which came down from 
heaven, to nourish the soul to everlasting life ; and for 
the Divine nourishment thus obtained, nothing can be 
safely substituted." 



I will he as the dew unto Israel, (Hosea xiv. 5.) 
As the dew falls when all is still, when all is wrapt in 
silence ; so it is in the silence of all flesh with its noisy 
workings, that this sacred unction distils upon the soul 



454 GLEANINGS FROM 

and ca,vises it to grow as the lily^ and cast forth his roots 
as Lebanon. 



He shall come dotvn like rain upon the mown grass; 
as showers that water the earth. Psalm Ixxii. 6. 



A sedate and composed mind is necessary in order 
to know ourselves and to know God, as it is stated in 
Psalm xlvi. Be still and knoiu that I am G-od! 
Such wisdom both deserves and demands a vacant soul: 
it will not, as it were, thrust itself into a corner, nor 
inhabit a polluted or unquiet breast. God was not in 
the whirlwind^ nor in the fire, hut in the still small 
voice. (1 Kings xix. 12.) The Holy Spirit is peaceful 
and serene, but wicked men are turbulent and stormy, 
driven like the sea, whose waves are tossed about, and 
throw up continually mire and dirt. Impurity is the 
inseparable attendant of this inquietude ; hut the wis- 
dom that is from ahove, is first pure, then peaeeahle 
(James iii. 17); and in that blessed country to which 
it teaches us to aspire, there is the most perfect and 
everlasting union of purity and peace. 



Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod 
and thy staff they comfort me. PsALM xxiii. 4. 



At death the saints are engaged in the last and one 
of the most eminent works of faith, even the commit- 
ting of themselves into the hands of God, when they are 
launching forth into a vast eternity, and entering into 
that new state which will make so great a change upon 
them in a moment. But with what encouragement 
may a Christian throw himself into the arms of that 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 455 

God, with whom he has long conversed and walked in 
this world ; whose visits have been sweet and frequent, 
with whom the soul hath contracted so intimate ac- 
quaintance ; to whom he has committed all his affairs, 
and still found him a faithful God, and now has no 
reason to doubt, but that he shall find him so in his 
last conflict and exigence also ! 



One is your Master , even Christ ; and all ye are 
brethren. Matt, xxiii. 8. 



The true church of Christ consists of members of all 
visible churches, who in the sincerity of their hearts 
are endeavouring to know and to perform the will of 
God. These will be finally accepted, whatever denom- 
ination they may have borne among men, and will, in 
a glorified state, form part of that company which no 
man can number, gathered from every nation, kindred, 
tongue, and people, which the evangelist John, in the 
vision of God, saw surrounding the throne, apd \initing 
in the Universal Hallelujah. 



PSALM LXXII. 

{From " Songs of Zion") 

Hail to the Lord's anointed ! 

Great David's greater Son; 
Hail, in the time appointed. 

His reign on earth begun ! 
He comes to break oppression, 

To let the captive free ; 
To take away transgression, 

And rule in equity. 



456 GLEANINGS FROM 

He comes witli succour speedy, 

To those who suffer wrong, 
To help the poor and needy, 

And bid the weak be strong ; 
To give them songs for sighing, 

Their darkness turn to light. 
Whose souls condemn'd and dying, 

Were precious in his sight. 

By such shall He be feared. 

While sun and moon endure, 
Belov'd, obey'd, revered ; 

For He shall judge the poor, 
Through changing generations. 

With justice, mercy, truth, 
While stars maintain their stations. 

Or moons renew their youth. 

He shall come down, like showers 

Upon the fruitful earth, 
And love, joy, hope, like flowers, 

Spring in his path to birth : 
Before Him, on the mountains, 

Shall Peace the herald go : 
And righteousness in fountains, 

From hill to valley flow. 

Arabia's desert-ranger. 

To Him shall bow the knee ; 
The Ethiopian stranger 

His glory come to see ; 
With offerings of devotion, 

Ships from the isles shall meet, 
To pour the wealth of ocean 

In tribute at his feet. 



PIOUS AUTHORS. 457 

Kings shall fall down before Him, 

And gold and incense bring; 
All nations shall adore Him, 

His praise all people sing ; 
For He shall have dominion 

O'er river, sea, and shore. 
Far as the eagle's pinion, 

Or dove's light wing can soar. 

For Him shall prayer unceasing, 

And daily vows, ascend ; 
His kingdom still increasing, 

A kingdom without end : 
The mountain-dews shall nourish 

A seed in weakness sown. 
Whose fruit shall spread and flourish, 

And shake like Lebanon. 

O'er every foe victorious. 

He on his throne shall rest. 
From age to age more glorious, 

All blessing and all blest ; 
The tide of time shall never 

His covenant remove ; 
His name shall stand for ever ; 

That name to us is — Love. 



39 



Sntox tfl tljB mm ^^rniniittut f nssngBS. 



WHEATSHEAF. 



The poor in spirit ; True religion ; Table of the economist ; 11. Sen- 
sual and heavenly pleasure; Religion; 12. A day lost; Boaz and his 
reapers; The hurry of business; Wealth a deceitful bubble ; 13. Avoid 
the tale bearer ; Be circumspect in thy actions ; Yisit the abodes of sor- 
row ; 14. Importance of sincerity; Frugality and liberality ; Unlawful 
gain ; 15. Much given, much required ; The experience of good men ; 
Address of the prodigal; 16. The grave; A sympathetic temper; 17. 
Our own faults ; Modesty in youth; 19. Eeverence for sacred things; 
True courtesy ; Live within compass ; 20. Bound our earthly desires ; 
Pre-emiue:2ce in conversation; Presentation of a gift; 21. Tribute of 
obedience; Advantages of temperance; Speak with care to all ; Respect 
to all ever graceful in youth: 22. The mistress of a family; The right 
use of affluence; 23. Hold no parley with temptations; Flowers soon 
fade; 24. "Woe unto you that are rich;" 25. True charity; holiness 
of heart; An exemplary life; Love of God ; Joy and sorrow; 26. Sin- 
ful pleasures; 27. The good man; Christian retirement; 28. The 
choice of friends ; 29. Our opinion of ourselves ; Pride; 31. Earthly 
delights ; 32. Converting grace ; The hehaviour of humility ; 33. 
Building tabernacles here ; Prayer; First lesson in Christ's school ; 34, 
The heavenly pilot ; Doubting Christians ; " The kingdom of God is 
within you ;" 35. Judge Hale in sickness ; 36. Meditating on death ; 
37. The prepared soul bursting its prison walls ; 38. A properly in- 
structed mistress ; ! how sweet is love ! 39. Instruct and encourage 
thy neighbour ; Attention to strangers; Literary correspondence; The 
citizen of the world; 41. Do not offend him who passes high encomiums; 
Watch the vessel to the mouth of the port; Instrumental music; The 
theory of navigation ; Afflictions; 42. One watch kept right; The loss 
of friends ; Mankind one family ; 43. Sanctification ; 45. God prun- 
eth the vine of our afflictions ; Promises of the sick bed ; 46. Solid 
worth contrasted with specious piety; Prayer; 48. Reprove with discre- 
tion ; 49. True Christian love ; Take care what thou readest; 50. The 
primitive believers ; Society may be a snare ; True Christians ; 51. 
Avoid domestic profusion ; Great estates and places; 52. Overdoing in 
well doing; 53. Dispersing books of piety; Lessen the heap of human 
(458) 



INDEX. 459 

misery; Where we may find the most perfect man; 54, A Christian 
should not be slovenly ; Critical times of danger ; The Lord's people 
have light in their dwellings ; 55. God is not in all our thoughts ; Life 
a mixed draught: 56. The only rich man ; Friendship lovas a free air; 
A true friend; 57. Wherein we may rejoice; Animosities removed; 
58. Devout souls everywhere of one religion ; The righteous have the 
better of it even in this world; True fellowship ; 59. The humble; The 
Christian above the love of titles ; 60. The Divine Teacher ; 62. The 
form without the life of godliness ; The God of creation shines in all his 
works ; 63. A gem of unspeakable worth ; The hour of death ; 64. 
Prayer ; Communion with God ; Gentle zephyrs and flowery fields not to 
bo coveted always ; 65. Excess of luxury ; Dependence on the Lord ; 
Resting places here ; 67. Our holy pattern ; No cross, no crown ; 68. 
Content with little; Our whole conduct; A bitter scoff, an evil name ; 
69. The holy Jesus rose early to pray ; 70. Experience of former de- 
liverances ; Comfort in the darkest night of affliction; When in trouble, 
double thy diligence in prayer ; Those pleasures which are at God's right 
hand; 71. Charity may return in showers of blessings ; The rod of 
affliction is in our father's hands; Jesus spake the tempest into a perfect 
calm ; 72. Names written in heaven ; Self-reform the first step to use- 
fulness ; The " strong tower ;" Night watches fit seasons for meditation ; 
73. David's call from a sheepfold to a throne ; Better a penitent in a 
porch than a sinner on the throne ; Fervent prayer ; 74. Solomon's inven- 
tory of the world ; The truth maketh free ; A true penitent ; 75. The 
controlling influence of Christianity ; The title of Christian ; 76. Nar- 
row-mindedness ; 77. We must be singular if we would be holy ; 78. 
The believer in Jesus ; 79. 



FRUITS AND FLOWERS. 

Christ present with his church; 81. Communion of saints here; Paul 
kneels to pray ; 82. External appearances ; 83. When man begins to 
know himself ; Inward retirement; 111 temper in a family ; 84. A tur- 
bulent temper ; A true friend ; Discretion in giving; 85. The Earl of 
Kinnowl; Humble-mindedness ; The sweets of solitude ; 86. Believing 
views of glory; 87. Influence of Divine love; The desire to be thought 
v?ise; 88. Addison in death; 90. The joy of the believer; Knowledge 
and wisdom ; 92. A true friend ; An irreligious old age ; A Saviour, an 
all-sufficient Saviour; 93. Tranquillity of soul ; Detraction; 94. Riches! 
beauty ! pleasure ! genius ! fame ! A lesson against selfishness : Afflic- 
tions; Why not more in the sunshine? 95. Prayer; March on, even 
In the storm ; Self-confident manner ; Resignation j 96. Forgive those 



460 INDEX. 

wlio disquiet us ; Living in pleasure ; is our zeal heavenly ? 97. Im- 
portance of punctuality ; Early education ; David Hume ; 98. Fenelon 
to a friend ; Bear up under the infirmities of our earthly tabernacle ; 99. 
The heavenly visitant ; A dying saint ; 100. " Before I was afflicted I 
■went astray;" 101. " The calm retreat; " The small things that diffuse 
peace ; The truths of the gospel ; 102. Hearts in union ; ! days of 
heaven; Queen of Navarre; Judge men by the maxims of their own 
age; 103. Isaac "Watts ; Burke, on John Howard; 104. Queen Mary ; 
105. Think of other's comforts; The wise man's desire; 106. Why 
should we differ? John Newton on flattery; lO/. The pronouns /and 
3Ie ; The needle's point; Why not love as brethren; 108. The m jni- 
tions of the spirit ; The world a flying shadow ; Wise frugality ; Indi- 
cation of a depraved heart; Pride has many rubs ; 109. Antidote to 
self-love; A judicious silence; A forbearing temper; 110. She that 
liveth in pleasure ; Judge not another by thine own pattern ; Modest de- 
portment; 111. Young heads are giddy; The well-informed youth; 
The " sweet song ; " 112. Worldly prosperity ; Religion ; The bent of a 
man's mind ; 113. Watch thy minutest actions ; Learning and honour? 
Joining the innumerable company; 114. An idolater; Feeding on the 
hidden manna ; Lose no opportunity of doing good ;* 115. Despise not 
the check of conscience ; True friendship ; Contemplate the actions of 
the wise ; 116. Value of time ; Eternity ; 117. Worldly greatness ; 
Too little meditation ; True wisdom ; 119. First improve ourselves ; 
Conversation ; Insensibility to eternal things ; The laurel crown and 
cypress wreath ; 120. Art thou offended ; The tail of the fox ; 121. 
Matthew Henry ; Loving every body ; Two friends at variance ; Our 
conversation in heaven ; 122. A heavenly companion ; 123. Town clerk 
of Ephesus ; Godly people are praying people ; Prayer is the vital breath 
of faith ; 124. Attendance at public worship ; Archbishop Usher ; The 
Christian ; Words of a door-keeper at a playhouse ; 125. Forgetfulness 
of God ; Human imperfection ; 126. Ungodly marriages ; 127. Inci- 
dental good actions ; New converts ; The deviser of liberal things ; 128. 
True bliss; 129. Solitude; Our actions ; A dying nobleman; 130. Be- 
lievers upheld by faith; 131. Bearing to be told our faults; Eternity; 
132. The hand that can overthrow ; 0, popular applause ; 133. That 
field of promise; Lady Rachel Russel; 134. One master passion; Real 
Christians; 135. True Religion; 136. An earnest of future happiness ; 
138. Repentance; Men grasp at too much; Henry Martyn ; 139. We 
can do nothing of ourselves ; No retreat from the field of battle ; 140. 
The sorrows of the saints ; 141. What we appear at home ; The com- 
munion of saints ; 142. Those who endure; 144. Humanity; Study 
the power of religion ; To know ourselves ; Examine ourselves with 
suspicious severity ; 146. True zeal ; 147. Use the balm of love to 
convince of error ; True charity; the sin of exaggeration ; 148. Enough 
has heaven indulged; Knowledge; 150. The plague in London ; Thy 



INDEX. 461 

Aours and moments; 151. Bashfulness ; Cecil— Watts* Hymns; 152. 
The true dignity of man ; Love and envy the antipodes of each other ; 
153. The fire in London; Aiming at great things ; Real worth may ex- 
ceed appearances; 154. Learn to suffer, as well as to do, the will of 
God ; 155. Hope ; Fiery trials ; 156'. A rule for giving ; James Hervey 
under dying circumstances ; 157. The path of Life ; Lines on dying 
expressions; 158. Maxim of John Newton; Self-esteem; 159. The 
Holy Spirit; The earthquake in Lisbon ; 160. The Christian's habit of 
turning to God; All joy to the believer; 161. Be kind to enemies as 
well as friends ; We are to exercise faith, our Lord will have credit at 
every step; The aged Christian; 162. Cecil's experience; 163. Ex- 
posing the imperfections of the religious world; A violent sectarian 
spirit; An ostentatious spirit; I prais'd the earth in beauty seen ; 164. 
Safety in the Divine fear ; Countess of Huntingdon ; 165. What our 
hope of a wedding garment; Lackest thou anything; 166. Such is the 
soul that leaves this mortal land ; 167. The boast of heraldry; A little 
rule, a little sway ; Thomas Scott on meetness for heaven ; 168. Elias 
Boudinot respecting some Indians; 169. Men ought always to pray ; 
Earthly possessions; 171. John Janeway; 173. The Tahitians; 176. 
Sow in the morn thy seed; 177. The Tahitian parliament ; 178. Who 
can view the stately pillars gone ; 179. Daily irruptions of the enemy; 
180. Varied gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit ; 181. Take care how 
we judge ; 182. Eeligious professors ; R. Cecil and the pomegranito 
tree ; 183. The wealthy grazier ; 184. All is vanity and vexation of 
spirit; 187. The path of sorrow ; Songs in the night; 188. Grand 
houses ; The prosperous fool, the prosperous Christian ; 189. A soft and 
delicate life; Happiness of a sufferer; 190. Love endureth all things; 
191. Humility ; Duty to a parent ; Johnson on Garrick's fine house ; 
193. Shelf for tried characters ; 194. Christian love ; 195. " Blessed 
is he that considereth the poor ;" 196. We talk of happiness ; 199. A 
witty sneer on sacred subjects is a species of sacrilege; A Christian's 
wit is inoffensive light ; 200. George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham ; 
201. The learned and pious Richard Hooker; 202. Thou art the 
source and centre of all minds ; 203. 



THE GARDEN. 

The works of the Divine hand ; Cheerfulness ; 205. A well regulated 
mind ; The trials of good men ; 206. Prayer ; 207. Be ready for every 
separating stroke ; Living below our privileges ; 208. The praise of men ; 
209. Diary of Joseph Williams; 0, when thou city of my God; 210. 
Taking steps in life ; 211. Spirituality of mind ; 212. The Bible ; Me- 



■462 INDEX. 

moir of Shackleton ; 213. Matthew Henry; 214 Meditation; The 
world is seldom what it seems ; The conversation of too many ; 215. 
The piously disposed heart; Fruit according to the scion; 216. Pleas- 
ure too eagerly pursued by youth ; A righteous man's conversation ; 
Jane Taylor's last letter; 217. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire; 218. 
He that worketh all in all; He who only talks of Christ; Stoical apathy 
is not Christian fortitude; People love to be accosted mildly; 219. An- 
thony Benezet; ! ye who still exult in prosp'rous gales ; 220. Properly 
numbering our blessings ; 221. The hill of prosperity ; The princely 
pine, on hills exalted ; The Lord deals graciously with Ms people ; 222. 
And, 0, ye children of afSiction ! 223. The heart which bleeds for other's 
woes; The rich and the poor ; The solace of prayer in trouble; 224. A 
young man at a ball : The bell strikes one ; 226. The cup of sorrow; 
Eliza Cunningham ; 227. The Christian race not to be run at a heat; 

229. A backslider : Return at once when I reprove ; Lady Huntingdon ; 

230. A soft answer; Be gentle to all; Be of one mind; 231. Love 
makes the music of the blest above : Mothers can do great things ; All 
not alike cheerful: 232. Xone to live to themselves; He who guides 
Ms affairs with discretion; 233. The work of grace in our own souls; 
The pruning knife of affliction; 235. Tenderness of conscience; 236. 
A kind word affords comfort; The eleventh commandment: Love is the 
sweetest bud that blows; Holy serenity of soul; 237. A Christian is a 
new creature ; Beware of covetousness ; 238. The design of God is to 
root us out of everything: Active benevolence; 239. Peace of mind; 
Our Saviour continued all night in prayer to Grod; 241. Wise above 
what is written ; 24=2. Self-confidence ; 243. Make the Lord Jesus 
your friend: "When yonder glittering lamps on high; 244. Paley on 
the Lord's Prayer : A growing believer ; 247. Mungo Park in a season 
of peril; 24S. Let the bright beams of science shed; The goodness of 
our Creator: 249. Happy, if full of days; 250. Halyburton's exhor- 
tation : Sir "William Jones in his Bible ; Hold the truth with firmness, 
but in love : 251. Love the very stamp and badge of our Saviour; Be 
much in prayer; "We are not to seek the favours or fear the frowns of the 
world ; 252. Folly of a self-seeking spirit ; The experience of the dying 
vary; 253. Consistency in the character of good parents ; 254. Tena- 
city of the unconverted; A sympathizing temper; 255. Affliction not 
joyous to the flesh; 256. The founder of the Charter-house; 257. It 
wins my admiration; These as they change; 258. Purity; The golden 
hours of the morning ; Awake ! the morning shines ; The duties of hu- 
manity; 259. Cecil's thought for a poor horse; 260. Churlish beha- 
viour; !^61. Walk closely with God in secret; Faith says it shall be 
well with the righteous ; 262. The joy of walking with God; 264. Do 
I return good for evil; Punctuality; Henry Martyn ; 265. Devotion 
yields rich pleasures ; Recognizing a brother in Christ ; I feel I have a 
heart; 266. The Christian has many cordials; Eminent saints greatly 



INDEX. 463 

proved; 267. If the soft hand of winning pleasure leads ; We have no 
abiding city here ; 268. Solemnity of a dying hour ; The blessed change 
which the Gospel effects ; 269. What are earthly possessions without the 
blessing ; 270. " Thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter;" 
Sympathy with our fellow probationers ; 271. Summer and winter sea- 
sons ; Oh ! I have seen the day ; 272. The transcendent power of the 
Omnipotent; The sun, a world whence other worlds drink light; Paley 
on the construction of the human heart ; 273. But is't not, stranger, 
proof of greater power ; 274. The volume of creation ; If, traveller, in 
dull apathy, thou stray ; 275. The ocean of Almighty love ; In every 
object here I see ; Death of W. Jenkyn, in Newgate ; 276. Call Jeho- 
vah thy salvation; 277. The peace which diffuses- itself over the soul of 
the true Christian ; How wanting wisdom, they who fondly turn ; A noble 
air, the concomitant of an approving conscience ; 279. " Behold, now 
is the accepted time ; " 280. Faring deliciously every day ; 281. Fol- 
lowing Christ on certain conditions ; 282. A slandering tongue ; Being 
falsely accused ; 283. Mourning turned into joy; Comfort take, thou 
child of sorrow; 284. Living in the exercise of faith; 285. A con- 
science at peace; 286. Two priests of Budhoo ; 287. For ever with the 
Lord; Christians ! let the world see you are not the losers in your joy ; 

288. The life and acts of a new creature ; Foretaste of heaven's joys ; 

289. Let the mantle of worldly enjoyments hang loose about thee ; Je- 
seph Hughes ; The death-bed of a Christian ; 290. How bless'd the 
righteous when he dies ; Jesus, I my cross have taken ; 291. Bernard 
Gilpin ; Yes ! there's a power ; 293. A conviction that God heareth 
prayer ; Prayer ; Singing praises to God ; 294. Gladness thy sacred 
presence brings ; The days of the believer's mourning shall be ended ; 
295. " Poor and afflicted," Lord, are thine ; The blessedness of trusting 
in God ; 296. Aflictiou ; The Lord can clear the darkest skies ; 297. 
Retiring for holy converse with God ; 298. " the depths of the riches, 
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ;" So he ordained, whose 
way is in the sea ; Angel of hope ! sweet regent of the hour ; 300. Our 
enemies cannot deprive us of communion with God; Free by birth of no 
mean city ; 301. Similarity of feelings in the experience of the pious ; 
It is in hope the saints rejoice ; 302. True happiness is not the growth 
of earth ; Civility, or good manners ; 303. Let us offer the sacrifice of 
praise to God continually ; The Christian's trade is heavenly ; 304. 
Lord, thy heavenly grace impart; 305. John Frederic Oberlin; 306. 
As when a child, secure from harms ; 307. True candour; The Lordre- 
wardeth in full measure those who extend kindness to his servants ; Nei- 
ther despond nor be weary in waiting upon God ; Still raise for good the 
supplicating voice; 308. Eternity, who can grasp the mighty idea? If 
all the waters flowing round this earth ; 309. Life and its end ; 310. 
Though wealth awaits thee with o'erflowing hand ; A narrow, contracted 
spirit ; 311. A whole family in unison ; A solitary blessing few can find ; 



464 INDEX. 

To criminate and to recriminate never yet was the road to reconciliation ) 
312. Christians closely knit together ,• 'Tis grace, 'tis bounty, and it 
calls for praise; Memoir of Samuel Kilpin ; 313. Princess Anne; Re- 
member our Creator in the days of our youth ; 314. "Wisdom divine ' 
adorable the name; The seasons of Adam Clarke's life; 315. Canst 
thou renounce thy fancied righteousness ? 317. Gracious father ! break 
each false repose ; Appreciate the efforts of our friends to please and 
comfort us ; Suppress every word which may give pain, especially in the 
time of affliction; 318. There is in every human heart; "Wait not till 
thy friend is no more, to appreciate his worth ; A proud man ; Humilia- 
tion; 319. The walk of a good man ; The peculiar blessing of spiritual 
mindedness ; 320. Pr'ayer the connecting link between earth and heaven ; 
321. Go, when the morning shineth ; 322. I tread the path the patri- 
archs trod ; 323. Taking leave of all here ; 324. Thou art a borderer 
upon eternity ; 326. The prosperity of Christians inseparably allied to 
obedience ; In seasons of distress ; 327. Gay attire ; Vain man ! Is 
grandeur given to gay attire? The furniture of a renewed mind; 328. 
Persons dying intestate ; 329. Responsible according to talents given ; 
Perseverance in a holy life; The beauties of creation; 330. Dilatory 
persons; "Wm. "Wilberforce ; 331. John Newton; Shewell on Cowper ; 
332. Solomon's "sacred pastoral ;" 333. A strict adherence to truth ; 
A candid, open character; Keep within the limits of thy income; 335. 
"When winds the mountain oak assail ; "Who art thou that soaring high ; 
336. Laura at Clifton ; 337. Charles Simeon ; 338. The pleasures of 
sense weary : 339. 



THE SHRUBBERY. 

Affability; Prolixity in writing or conversation; 343. Rowland 
Hill's gardener ; 348. Filthiness of external habits ; Cleanliness ; Row- 
land Hill ; 349. A certain portion of income for the poor; 350. Sacri- 
fices that cost nothing ; Guard against ostentatious parade ; The essence 
of charity; 351. Signs of being the Lord's children ; Poverty of spirit; 
Faith in Christ; 352. Ah ! why by passing clouds oppress'd ; 353. John 
Newton ; Minute turning points in our lives ; 354. " Oh ! who shall say 
how great the plan;" Sir Matthew Hale ; 355. Let not trifles interrupt 
thy happiness; 356. Sir Matthew Hale on the observance of the Chris- 
tian Sabbath ; 357. Gurney on Christian love ; 358. Imagery of the 
Heathens ; Two Italian Proverbs ; 359. Cecil on prejudices ; Communion 
of saints ; 360. In judging another, remember the bias of education ; 
361. Joys in store for the righteous; Father, Redeemer, Comforter Di- 
vine; 362. Suffering and war with the world; Traveller through thia 



INDEX. 465 

vale of tears ; 363. Ignatius ; Importance of a good example ; 365. 
Parisian life; 366. Sin is a monster of such frightful mien; Chester- 
field on the pleasures of the world ; 367. Pleasure's the fatal rock which 
most have split on ; Religious duties neglected; WAere the inexperienced 
often suffer; 368. Eyes dazzled long by fiction's gaudy rays; God of- 
ten touches our best comforts ; Our hearts are fastened to this world ; 
John Fletcher; 369. A dependence on the immutable rock; Christian 
pilgrims helping each other ; 370. Beyond the dark and stormy bound ; 
Prejudice; If once to prejudice the soul's resigned; 371. Ridicule and 
raillery; Temporizing; 372. Professor, keep the King's highway; 
rind out the truth ; Seize upon truth where'er 'tis found ; The Lord will 
protect tho innocent ; Rowland Hill on being libelled ; 373. Communion 
of saints on earth ; Bearing provocation ; Hall on real attainments ; 376. 
Thy triumphs, Faith, we need not take ; 377. Experience of the saints; 
Shake from my soul, o'erwhelmed, depressed ; Countess of Warwick ; 
378. Alexander Cruden ; Hall upon a full-blossomed tree ; 379. Leigh- 
ton ; Self-love ; 380. Adam's private thoughts; Count present blessings ; 
381. The children of God ; With the lowly is wisdom ; What will hum- 
ble us to dust ; 382. Holy patience; Cecil; The wild palm tree; 383. 
Two young men at Port Royal ; 384. Sir Christopher Hatton ; 385. God- 
liness with contentment ; 386. Happy, oh happy he, who not affecting ; 
John Thorp ; 387. How Christians should love one another; 388. The 
charity which sufifereth long ; 389. The Christian's graces should be seen 
walking abroad ; Sir Matthew Hale ; 390. Consider how variously minds 
are constituted ; 391. Let us not fill the valley of our pilgrimage with 
the baneful monuments of our contentions ; Many of the persecutors of 
Christ's Church have come to an untimely end ; 392. What is a church? 
Let truth and reason speak; 393. Sincerity is an essential attribute of 
personal religion ; 394. Who best can suffer, best can do ; God bids the 
sun ascend the skies ; 395. When God commands, fear not man ; It is 
the best and longest lesson, to learn how to die; 396. There is a land 
of pure delight; Leighton on a journey to Dumblane ; 397. The Chris- 
tian parent ; Hannah More on the value of prayer ; The Newcastle col- 
lier boy ; 398. Take care that thy riches be not as silver bars to cross 
thy way to heaven; Give freely what thou giv'st; The comprehensive- 
ness of Christian charity; Excesses of luxury, costly diversions; 400. 
Luxury ! thou curst by heaven's decree ; Danger lest the practice of 
invariable economy should lead to the love of money; A rebuke from a 
poor Hottentot; 401. The standard of tho gospel disregarded to suit our 
own purposes; 402. The trimming of the vain world would clothe the 
naked ; Thomas Hogg ; 403. And along that vale of tears ; Our ever 
present and Almighty friend; 404, Let the young abound in compassion 
toward the aged ; Serle — On feeling for the aged; Against the reading 
of unprofitable books ; 405. Oxenstiern, Chancellor of Sweden ; Avoid 
reaching the utmost bounds of what is lawful; 406. A natural wil{ 



466 INDEX. 

ploughed up; 407. Rowland Hill; A Christian ought to be universally 
compassionate; 408. An expedient for conversing by a reference to 
texts ; 409. Be pitiful, be courteous ; The two disciples on their journey 
to Emmaus ; 410. The true believer is a new creature ; 411. A saint I 
Oh would that I could claim ; 412. The soul of the believer must be 
habituated to action ; Approaching the heavenly shore ; 413. The mer- 
chant, who towards spicy regions sails ; Thou, as a gallant bark from 
Albion's coast ; Intimate friendships ; 414. The temple of Solomon j 
No hammer fell, no ponderous axes rung ; We may harmonize in prin- 
ciples, though we may differ in punctilios; 415. Party spirit; 416. 
In the midst of life we are in death; 417. Love of the stage; Can 
laughter feed th' immortal mind ? The poet Shakspeare ; 416. A Chris- 
tian cannot with impunity enter into the spirit of the world ; As in the 
inn there was no room for our Saviour, so neither is there room for him 
in our depraved hearts ; 420. Mind not the difficulties of thy march ; 
Anecdote of Windham, irreverent use of the sacred name : 421. Leigh- 
ton — the children of God; 423. Hear what God the Lord hath spoken ; 
If the world hate you, 424, The Apostle Paul : When pining sickness 
wastes the frame ; 425. The example of the aged Christian ; 426. 
Reader ! art thou desolate and afflicted; Fear not, Zion's sons and daugh- 
ters ; 42S. "Be still and know that I am God ; " Think not, when all 
your scanty stores aiford ; 429. Early dedication; 431. "These six 
things does the Lord hate ; " 432. Uncertain wages of glory and thanks 
amongst men; Peace-makers; 433. Doddridge on the healing of breaches; 
434. Ye different sects, who all declare; Scruples of conscience should 
be tenderly treated; 435. Godliness the beginning of joyfulness; Be 
not conformed to this world ; 436. Judson on dress; Leighton on the 
better wardrobe; The sons of Eli; 437. To be pleased with what God 
pleases; 438. The conversion of a soul; 439. The fanning time, the 
day of sifting ; 440, The Gospel spread by fishermen ; The children of 
Israel ; 441. The passage through the wilderness ; Ye fearful saints, 
fresh courage take; 442. Strife between good and evil; 443. We may 
give our hand to the real inquirer after truth ; Integrity of heart ; 444. 
On the improvement of our gifts; 445. A desire for the real happiness 
of man ; A good foundation for hope ; 446. The selfish, the earthly, the 
sensual; 447. Who is my neighbour ; 448. In thy light shall we see 
light; The sufferings of Christ; 449. True simplicity of spirit; Bishop 
Hall; 450. Augustine after traversing the ways of the world; 451. 
Leighton on finding so few Christians; White on private prayer; 452. 
"I will be as the dew unto Israel;" 453. Wicked men are turbulent 
and stormy; Engagement of the saints in their last conflict; 454, The 
true church ; Psalm Ixxii. ("From Songs of Zion"), 455. 



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